We have recently passed our first 100 days since the official launch of the University of
Cambridge Leadership and Management Community of Practice (LM CoP). It began as the
Leaders and Managers Network (LMN) in the dark days of January 2021 which was established to respond to the specific concerns that people managers were facing and, in particular, the sense of isolation many were feeling. A regular email post to several hundred self–subscribed colleagues shared resources and a way to feedback emerging ideas and practices. Monthly meetings provided a space for connection, peer support and sharing of ideas. But the LMN always had room to grow and so much more to offer!
Becoming a Community of Practice
Fast forward 3 years to 2024 and the LMN has become the LM CoP! A comprehensive validation process means we are now working alongside other Communities of Practice covering areas such as Project Management, Grant Administration, Access and Participation and Teaching and Learning, with more in the pipeline. Our launch event was a lively, enthusiastic and sociable affair, with support from senior staff including one of our PVCs, the Registrary and Director of HR, and included an energising Big Ideas Activity facilitated by our Continuous Improvement team.
How does a CoP work?
The University’s CoPs are all ‘member–led’ which offers rich opportunities for colleagues across the University to meet, share and learn together. The LM CoP activities are coordinated and facilitated by a dedicated group of volunteers from across the University who form our Core Team including our Co–Leads. We have an MS Team with almost 450 members that is filling up with news, articles, questions and conversations. Since the launch we’ve run a series of focus groups to hear what the community want and what they can offer as well as an online form to gather feedback. Overwhelmingly people want opportunities to network and share experience to build best practice so our (not insignificant) challenge is to link what people want with the vast experience we know is in the community! Plans include a start–of–term focus on wellbeing for managers, establishing regular network meetings, a ‘book club’ of sorts called Interesting Reads, ‘home grown research’ seminars with Cambridge academics on relevant areas, opportunities to contribute to panel discussions on a variety of related topics and more in the pipeline.
Looking ahead
The Core Team are having an away–day once the busy start of term has passed – time to reflect on our progress and align our plans with the aims we agreed as part of the validation process to “be a productive force for good, positively impact organisational culture and promote the highest levels of professional practice among those with responsibility for people management”. What comes next will be guided by these objectives, the needs of the
community and the commitment of members to get involved. Asked what a successful first year would look like, a member said “That I’ve learnt something, that my team has got something from it and that I’ve been able to contribute to it”. That’s what we’re working towards!
About the author: Jessie Monck is Engagement and Adoption Lead for the HR Transformation Programme at Cambridge University, and Core Team member of the Leadership and Management Community of Practice