analysis
A clean sweep in the Team Awards
The University of Huddersfield has a remarkable estates team, as Andrew Pring reports A
WARDS schemes are a fixture of modern life and they invariably culminate in a glittering presentation
ceremony at which a chosen few – dressed to the nines – receive their trophies and pose, all smiles, for the cameras. It’s a great night out, and the annual AUDE (Association of University Directors of Estates) Awards are no exception. Logistics dictate that there is a limit to the numbers who can be accommodated at these events and take to the stage when the winners are announced. This is no problem when the award is for the achievements of an individual or a small group of people.
But what happens when there are 266 winners?
That was the problem – a nice one to have, admittedly – confronting the Department of Estates and Facilities at the University of Huddersfield when it won the 2019 Estates/Facilities Team of the Year, bestowed at AUDE’s conference in Lancaster. There was a lot of pride in this victory, not least because AUDE Executive Director Jane White commented that “Huddersfield win our Team of the Year award several times over”. But there was only scope for a party of seven
8 highereducationestates
Huddersfield staff – including their director Colin Blair MBE and members of his executive team – to attend the event and accept the trophy.
Colin values teamwork hugely and is a
great believer in a holistic approach to the multi-faceted work of his department, which has responsibilities that range from multi-million pound developments on the campus, to everyday maintenance, sports provision and catering. After picking up the AUDE award he stated that his department’s team ethic was the major contributor to its success and quickly decided that each and every one of the 266 staff would receive a personalised certificate acknowledging their part in the victory. The certificates were duly produced and have been handed to the staff at various ceremonies. For example, a number were presented by the Duchess of York, who is a regular visitor to the University, and some were bestowed by Jerry Barnes, a partner at the long- established consultant engineers Hoare Lee, which is a sponsor of AUDE. There will also be presentations made by the University’s own Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan CBE. This isn’t just an internal PR stunt. Colin Blair wants to make it plain to all his
staff that the AUDE Team of the Year Award recognises the achievements every one of them. He also readily acknowledges that success in such awards schemes can have a reinvigorating effect on employees – including many who have worked at the University for a considerable time – and there can be observable rises in productivity. The ceremonial bestowal of Team of
the Year certificates on 266 staff has a precedent at the University of Huddersfield. Two years ago it was decided that all cleaning staff should train for the Licence to Practice qualification of the British Institute of Cleaning Standards (BICS). It was also decided that cohorts of successful candidates would receive their certificates at formal awards ceremonies – complete with academic regalia – that take place in the wake of the graduation ceremonies. The ceremonies are a high point in the University’s calendar and depend on the hard work and professionalism of Estates staff to run smoothly. The cleaning staff responded well to the BICS programme – which gives them a genuinely valuable qualification – and to the esteem provided by the presentation ceremonies. In line with Colin Blair’s dictum
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37
