Institute managers connect through their own network: ‘Everything comes together in this role’
It’s a complex role, and an unusual one at that, say the managers of the institutes in Leiden and The Hague. That’s why they started the IMpact network five years ago to share knowledge and experiences. ‘Each faculty is unique, but we have so much in common.’
‘Like coming home’ is how Caroline de Bruin from the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS) describes meeting up with her fellow institute managers. ‘In this role, it can sometimes feel as though you’re the only one dealing with certain issues. Then you really appreciate having a network of people you can turn to and work with.’
The network is called IMpact, and it celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. The idea emerged during the pandemic, during a course for institute managers. ‘We realised that we were all in the same boat’, says Sarah Michiel from the Netherlands Institute in Morocco (NIMAR). ‘As it was so good to be able to exchange knowledge, we came up with the idea of creating a network where we could share our knowledge and experiences, while also increasing our visibility among ourselves and within the organisation.’
The members of the network have worked to strengthen their position within the institutes and the university.
Problem-solvers and firefighters
This exchange can be extremely practical, with questions like: How do you deal with earmarked funds? What’s your policy on desk sharing and office space? Or: Does anyone know of a good management assistant? But the members of the network have also worked to strengthen their position within the institutes and the university.
As middle managers who are responsible for day-to-day operations, they are the linchpins of their institutes. ‘We’re where finance, IT, HR, building management, facilities, workload, task allocation and all sorts of other things come together’, says Kim Duistermaat, a former institute manager at Leiden University College The Hague. ‘At the same time, we depend on policy and decision-making at both faculty and central level. It’s a really complex role.’
And a bit of an unusual one too because institute managers can fall between the cracks, and the role differs slightly from one institute to the other. Some institute managers, for example, sit on their institute’s board or hold final responsibility for finances, whereas others do not. And at some faculties the role is called institute manager, while at others it is institute coordinator or operational director.
The fact that they have to be jacks of all trades is also reflected in how they are described by others and themselves: problem-solvers, firefighters, showrunners... and even duizenddingendoekje [literally, a multi-purpose cleaning cloth; roughly equivalent to a human Swiss Army knife].
‘Just ask’
One topic that has been a key focus for IMpact from the outset is fostering a culture of dignity and respect. This has included organising sessions with operations managers, confidential counsellors and ombuds officers. ‘It was important for us to understand who does what within the university and where people can go with different questions’, says Duistermaat. ‘As an institute manager, you’re often the first point of contact when something has happened. You need to know how to respond and what role you can play.’ The network also provided input on how the topic could be developed in the Strategic Plan.
Looking ahead, the IMpact members’ hope to be involved at an even earlier stage in organisational developments. Their message is simple: ‘Just ask. We’re always happy to share our ideas and experience!’
Seeking input from institute managers early on, or inviting them to take part in a working group, has several advantages. They know what is happening across the organisation, can advise on the practical feasibility of proposed measures, and can help assess how new policies are likely to affect staff in their day-to-day work.
‘We’re quite decentralised as a university’, says De Bruin from LIACS. ‘My hope is that colleagues will make greater use of the strength of that decentralised network when implementing centrally developed policies. Involving the network makes it easier to determine whether a plan is likely to succeed and how it can best be put into practice.’
‘Involving the network makes it easier to determine whether a plan is likely to succeed and how it can best be put into practice.’
For all non-academic questions
The institute managers also appreciate being kept in the loop, says Pim Overgaauw, Director of Operations at the Mathematical Institute. ‘Colleagues in the institutes still come to me and my team first with all their non-academic questions, even when a project or new policy has been carefully developed and communicated, with clear signposting to the service desks. It becomes difficult if we’re not aware of what’s going on.’
What Overgaauw appreciates most about IMpact is the fresh perspective it offers. ‘You often hear about the differences between faculties. Each faculty is unique, but there’s also so much we have in common, and we sometimes forget that.’
Text: Evelien Flink
Banner: Danique ter Horst