We have been running regular Library Senior Management Team (SMT) surgeries since July 2019. These are just one of several ways that colleagues are able to engage directly with senior managers should they so wish.

However, now that we have become a much larger team in the form of LCCOS there have been some changes in governance.

We have an LCCOS SMT. Supporting the work of this team is the LCCOS Leadership Group which includes members of the SMT but also section heads from across the service.

Going forward, the surgeries will be hosted by members of the LCCOS Leadership Group.

You are welcome to attend on your own, as a representative of a group or team, or in small groups. Whatever suits you is fine! Please note that if your feedback is of a personal/sensitive nature or relates to another colleague or Library user you should speak to your Line Manager in the first instance where possible.

Surgeries are currently scheduled to run via Teams, but sometimes it will be possible to conduct them face-to-face. Please feel free to request this if you prefer it, and if possible, we will accommodate that request.

The times and dates below all fall between 9.30am and 4pm, but we are very happy to arrange surgeries for colleagues who work evenings and weekends – please email me directly (rosalind.evans@ucl.ac.uk) and I will arrange it.

Please also remember that members of the LCCOS Leadership Group are available to visit sites, join team meetings etc. so please do let us know. You can request this either via your section head, or by directly contacting the relevant member of LCCOS Leadership Group. You are always welcome to contact individual members directly too.

Feedback

Finally, there is an online feedback form if you prefer. If you put your name on it, you will receive a response, but you can also post anonymously if you are more comfortable with this.

We are always interested in your ideas. One of the most important things about working for LCCOS is that no matter what our roles we are united by all wanting to do the very best we can.

Scheduled dates

Dates are scheduled as below. Please email the named person to book. Any general questions, comments, or suggestions please feel free to email me directly. I will be sending out a monthly reminder via the lccos-allstaff@ucl.ac.uk mailing list.

It seems like another lifetime when we launched a pilot of Senior Management Team (SMT) surgeries (actually July 2019) via this blog https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/libnet/2019/07/11/launch-of-smt-surgeries/.  This was one of a range of measures we had discussed to address feedback from colleagues via the last Library Staff Survey and other channels that the SMT weren’t as visible as you would like and that it wasn’t always clear who we are and what our roles are. You can find out (along with a bit about what we each do) here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/libnet/about-us/committees-and-working-groups/senior-management-team.  You can access the minutes of regular SMT meetings from this link if you are interested.

While the number of staff who attended the pilot SMT surgeries was quite small, they were well received and we will continue to offer them on a monthly basis (alongside other channels of communication).  Dates have been scheduled until the end of the year.  We will hold them on Teams for the moment, and once ‘normal’ service is resumed they will be offered alternately online and f2f.  All members of the SMT have been timetabled to run these surgeries and the dates are below.  In addition we will be briefly attending team meetings over the next couple of months to talk about the surgeries and we will be in touch with managers of teams across the service to make sure this happens. Please email to book a slot.  We will send a monthly reminder email via Liblist.

• 28th April 2021 2 – 3 pm:  Rozz Evans, Karen Jeger, Andy Pow  (email rosalind.evans@ucl.ac.uk)
• 25th May 2021 12 – 1 pm: Peter Dennison, June Hedges, Martin Moyle (email p.dennison@ucl.ac.uk)
• 21st June 2021 3 – 4 pm:  Sarah Aitchison, Rozz Evans, Ben Meunier (email s.aitchison@ucl.ac.uk)
• 29th July 9.30 – 10.30 am: Paul Ayris, Kate Cheney, Andy Pow (email a.pow@ucl.ac.uk)
• 29^th September 2021 2 – 3 pm: Karen Jeger, Margaret Stone, Michelle Wake (email k.jeger@ucl.ac.uk)
• 25th October 2021 11 – 12 am: Jennifer Brown, Lara Speicher, Martin Moyle (email jennifer.brown@ucl.ac.uk)
• 23^rd November 2021 10 – 11 am: Anna Di Iorio, June Hedges, Ben Meunier (email j.hedges@ucl.ac.uk)

We will also be running an evening surgery if there is demand.  Please email rosalind.evans@ucl.ac.uk if this would be your preferred option and we will organise it.

People also expressed the desire for more opportunities to interact with us directly, formally and informally.

We have created a new online SMT Feedback form https://ucl-global.libwizard.com/f/smt-feedback.  You can choose to submit comments, questions and suggestions via this form.  If you give your name you will receive an email response although you can also choose to do so anonymously.  We will take all comments and suggestions seriously and regular updates will be shared regarding feedback received at the termly full meeting of the SMT and more widely as appropriate.

We’d also like to establish far more regular visits to teams and sites.

In order to find out what you would like from us we will begin by setting up meetings with groups of team managers to talk and share ideas about how to develop this.  We understand that while some may want to hear more about the area of responsibilities of particular SMT members or receive briefings on particular developments, others would welcome the opportunity to show what they have been doing within their sites and teams. Others would like something even less formal – maybe to invite a member of SMT to their team meetings or just for a coffee and chat?  In the meantime we are always pleased to be invited, so please free to email any of us individually or via our group email (lib-smt@ucl.ac.uk).

We are always interested in your ideas about this as one of the most important things about working for UCL Library Services is that no matter what our roles we are united in our wish to be the best we can be.  Please do make full use of the range of opportunities to help us improve in this area. However you do it, please do make sure you have your say!

The third SMT Surgery will be taking place on Monday 4th November.  SMT members Peter Dennison (Head of Customer Service ) and June Hedges (Head of Liaison and Support Services) will be available between 11.00 and 1.00 in Room 102  in the Roberts Building.

Please email lib-smt@ucl.ac.uk to book a particular time-slot.  Alternatively you can just turn up on the day (although you may have to wait a short while if SMT members are already speaking with colleagues). We can also arrange Skype but please let us know in advance so we can ensure we have the necessary set-up to.  You can come on your own or as part of a small group, and can specify that you would like to see a particular member of SMT (from those available) if you prefer.  In the first surgery, a colleague attended bringing a number of questions and issues on behalf of their team which was a very useful and productive conversation so that might be something worth considering.

This is a pilot and will be running until December, so if you are unable to attend on the 4th November, future agreed dates are:

10^th  December (5.00 – 7.00 pm)

We welcome feedback throughout the process from those who attend and those who don’t!  During the pilot, the surgeries are being run by a small group of SMT (Rozz Evans, Karen Jeger, Peter Dennison, Andy Pow and June Hedges).  If it proves to be something that is useful and becomes an ongoing thing, on the full SMT will take turns to run the surgeries. In the meantime, if there are particular SMT members you would like to meet with, please let us know.  Notes from previous SMT meetings are available on LibNet too.

Further to my previous blog post from July (and June Hedges’ lightning talk at the Library Staff Conference) we are delighted to announce that the first SMT Surgery will be taking place on Friday 16^th August.  SMT members Rozz Evans (Head of Collection Strategy), Karen Jeger (Head of Collection Services) and Peter Dennison (Head of Customer Service) will be available between 10.00 and 12.00 in Room 770 at the Institute of Education.

Colleagues are able to book a slot by emailing lib-smt@ucl.ac.uk or are welcome to drop-in on the day (although you may have to wait a short while if SMT members are already speaking with colleagues).  You can come on you own or as part of a small group, and can specify that you would like to see a particular member of SMT  (from those available) if you prefer.

Apologies that this is rather short notice, but don’t worry if you can’t attend this one.  The pilot will be running until December and the following future dates have now been agreed:

11^th September (2.00 – 4.00 pm)

4^th  November (11.00 – 1.00 pm)

10^th  December (5.00 – 7.00 pm)

These sessions will be advertised a minimum of two weeks in advance of the date via the LibNet blog and will include the location and names of SMT who will be present.

As this is a pilot, we are planning to refine the process as we go along so we will be seeking feedback from colleagues.

We look forward to seeing some of you soon!