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As one very busy and exciting fiscal year ends and another one begins, it is a time to take stock of what has been accomplished and to set a course for what is yet to come. The start of a new fiscal year is also an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the past. It is a time to recognize the hard work and dedication of those who made success possible -– donors, alumni, volunteers, partners, and YOU.

For Advancement, the start of a new fiscal year can be a game-changing moment. It is a chance to rethink our approach, to refocus on our core values, and to innovate in ways that will drive growth and success. With a fresh perspective and a renewed commitment to excellence, the possibilities are endless.

Of course, a new fiscal year also brings with it new challenges and obstacles to overcome. But with the right mindset and a solid plan, anything is possible. By embracing change, taking calculated risks, and staying focused on our goals, we can achieve success and make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.

So, as one fiscal year ends and another begins, let us celebrate the past, appreciate the present, and look forward to the future with hope and optimism. As the saying goes, “success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Timeline for campaign preparedness assessment

As a follow-up to the previous information about our campaign preparedness assessment, we wanted to let you know about the timeline for completing it.

The assessment is designed to give us a comprehensive overview of our campaign readiness and identify areas where we may need to focus our efforts. Work is already underway and is expected to be completed this calendar year.  The full timeline can be found here: I:\ADV Common\2020-2025 Advancement\2023-24 Planning\Campaign Preparedness Assessment Timeline.xlsx.

ALT meeting update

ALT would like to share with you an update on the recent ALT all-day meeting that took place late last week. The meeting was a productive and insightful discussion, where we came together to discuss the results of the hybrid working environment pilot, culture, development, and artificial intelligence.  In this article, I will summarize some of the key takeaways from the meeting: 

Hybrid working environment pilot

ALT reviewed the results of the pilot:

• Success measures I:\ADV Common\2020-2025 Advancement\Building a Better Workplace\Hybrid pilot measures - Final results.docx
• Hybrid final survey results I:\ADV Common\2020-2025 Advancement\Building a Better Workplace\Hybrid Work Assessment_SurveyResults (FINAL).pptx
• Advancement Room Booking tool on QUIRC
• Human resources analytics

Although most of the results are positive, some measures have shown a decline. With regards to the hybrid pilot, we recognize that some of our newer employees were not present during the eight-month Building a Better Workplace initiative, which was a critical time for communication about our remote work environment and how we operate remotely. Since then, we have been in a holding pattern as we test a hybrid model, and the level of understanding and communication about the pilot has varied depending on how new staff were onboarded, discussions at team meetings, Q&A sessions, etc. We acknowledge that the rollout of several hybrid guidelines, such as hybrid meetings, hybrid travel, and information sharing, as well as remote-first policies, could have been more effective, including where they are stored and how we keep them at the forefront of our minds. Currently, they can be found in I:\ADV Common\Policies and Procedures. We have listed all the guidelines on our 2023-24 Annual Plan, to be reviewed, potentially revised, and certainly communicated in a better and more consistent manner.

The satisfaction with strategic leadership by ALT regarding the hybrid pilot has decreased over time. While we acknowledge we have faced numerous challenges, one of our primary concerns continues to be culture. We have struggled with reconciling the concept of culture and accepting that the old culture cannot be replicated in a hybrid work environment. Even when working in the office, the experience is different. With team members scattered across various locations, it has been challenging to establish and maintain a shared sense of values, goals, and work ethic. Maintaining effective communication in a remote work environment, without the ability to have face-to-face interactions, can make it difficult to accurately gauge engagement and overall wellbeing. We recognize that remote work can cause feelings of isolation and disconnection, which can negatively affect employee morale and retention. To address these challenges, we are committed to prioritizing the development of a strong Advancement culture by grounding our work in our values and goals, creating opportunities for team members to connect, building relationships and collaboration.

After careful consideration and discussion, we have come to some decisions:

• Embracing a remote work environment - Based on the overwhelmingly positive results we have seen, we have made the decision to commit to a longer-term remote work environment. While we initially considered ourselves a hybrid workplace, the reality is that very few employees, aside from essential services, work onsite. We recognize that there are still areas that require improvement, such as communication, guidelines, and clarity around remote versus RWAs, as well as travel reimbursement.

• Optimizing our campus footprint - We have decided to make Summerhill our permanent home and vacate Old Meds. While this transition will require thorough planning, design, and budgeting, we are excited about the idea of incorporating an alumni lounge in Summerhill West, with 101 serving as the reception and library area, housing yearbooks, QAR magazines, and other alumni-related materials. 

In terms of next steps, ALT has made a commitment to initiate discussions with their teams regarding the information in this newsletter, survey outcomes, and decisions. Managers will also have dialogues with their respective teams. Additionally, a meeting has been arranged with the university planning team to explore the possibilities for design and determine the next steps to take.  We also know we have three very important conversations to have about working with campus partners, communications, and culture. 

Culture

As we strive to align our actions with Advancement core values and hold each other and our managers accountable for improving communication and respect, we all agreed it is essential to make time for conversations about difficult issues. The discussions will be values-based, focusing on finding common ground and working through real work examples. We want to model the behaviour we want to see and look for opportunities to build cross-departmental relationships, improve communication, encouraging collaboration and understanding across teams. 
 
Development

Bobbie O’Connor joined us for an hour to review fundraiser metrics and discuss the longer-term strategy for development. Results will be shared with development in May and more broadly after that.  If you want to hear about this, all Advancement team members are invited to the next meeting, Wednesday, May 17, from 2:30 to 4 pm. If you would like to attend, send an email to Maria Casasfranco and she'll extend the invitation to them. To improve communication, it would be wonderful if at least one person from each team attended with a report back to their team.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

ALT had a conversation about the potential benefits of AI in Advancement which includes freeing up staff time to tackle more complex tasks, acknowledging the need to proceed cautiously and strategically to maximize its impact. We really want to explore the potential and how we can ensure that ChatGPT is used in a responsible and ethical manner that supports the organization's objectives and values.

Jobs with Advancement

We need your recruitment help. Know great talent that would be a good addition to our team? If so, please promote the vacancies below with your networks and let’s find some amazing new team members.

Applications (including a cover letter and résumé) must be submitted through CareerQ. For additional information on this posting, please reach out to either Carla Ferreira Rodrigues or the hiring manager for the position you are interested in.