The university has launched a new framework to support people to have open conversations. 

Open Conversations are at the heart of the culture we want to see thrive across the university. To support this a new open conversations framework has been launched. 

The Organisational Development team have created a SharePoint site to act as a Framework, providing people with resources and tools to support colleagues with all types of conversations they wish to have.

To accompany the framework, the Organisational Development (OD) team are hosting Open Conversation workshops.  These face to face and virtual workshops promote the fundaments of open conversations and provide a space to learn and share thinking on the how we can approach all the conversations we have using the principle of an open conversation. The suite of workshops includes: 

• Open conversations – an introduction 
• Open conversations – for leaders and managers 

For more information on dates and times of any of the open conversations workshops please visit our Training pages. 

If you would like to discuss how the OD team can support your team with approaching open conversations, please contact the OD team. 

Colleagues may find the open conversations framework and workshops beneficial in approaching ways of working conversations, in relation to the launch of the university’s Agile Working Framework. 

What is an open conversation?

A spoken interaction between two or more people, where those engaged in the conversation feel able to speak openly, ​and contribute or raise relevant ideas, questions or concerns. ​ 

It’s the approach you take to the conversation and the skills you use, rather than the topic or the depth of personal information you share.​ 

An Open Conversation is:  

• purposeful, and outcome-focused​ 
• two way​ 
• based on empathetic listening​ 
• where questions are used to explore and build understanding ​ 
• non-judgemental ​ 
• being open to not having the answer ​ 
• believing in the ability of the individual to solve problems​ 
• empowering others to learn, develop and make decisions ​ 
• enabled by self-awareness​ 

Our Open Conversations programme will underpin our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) ambitions by contributing to a culture where staff feel able to discuss matters relating to EDI with confidence that they will be taken seriously. 

Find out more

For more information on Open Conversations please visit the dedicated SharePoint site.