From Melody's Desk

March 23, 2017

Dear Team,

It was great to spend the afternoon with the UVAFinance team at this past Friday’s First Annual Appreciative Inquiry Showcase – I enjoyed the conversation, the great food (and light-hearted competition with our Chili Cookoff ) and, most of all, the celebration of what we’ve accomplished so far, since our appreciative inquiry journey began.

Over the past year, you have participated in committees, projects, work teams, and you have done your own individual work to help move us in the direction we set out with our Mission and Vision.  I am so proud of all we have accomplished, and I hope you are, too. 

UVAFinance Mission & Vision (click to enlarge)

2016/17 Progress (click to enlarge)

I hope you got a chance to visit the posters that showcased the work done by the AI committees.  If you didn’t get a chance to take a look, or if you’d like to revisit them, go to the UVAFinance Flickr site.  They’re posted there, along with pictures from the event. 

As I mentioned on Friday, we have very ambitious goals for 2017 and forward.  Below, you can see the specifics that we have in mind for reviewing, upgrading, and improving core business practices and implementing technology to support our work.  Let me stress to you again that amid those priority areas of people, process, and technology, it’s the “people” part that is the most important.

Click images to enlarge

Without continued development of valued and high-performing teams, with members who focus on getting things done and finding solutions, we cannot be successful.  I hope you will think about how you can be a part of building a strong, engaged team that works collaboratively. 

Consider the following opportunities available to you:

• Serving on an AI committee (email finance_steering@virginia.edu)
• Becoming a UBI expert
• Attending (or leading!) a Lunch and Learn or Brown Bag Session
• Checking out training from the Center for Leadership Excellence or other training that improves your skills
• Volunteering to represent UVAFinance in the Staff Senate
• Signing up for the Manager Development Program

We have an ambitious agenda set out for the coming year.  It will require every one of us to change our work habits and find ways to work smarter and better, which may be uncomfortable at times.  Even so, I am excited to join with you in delivering results that drive the work this great University does in education, research, and healthcare.

We are the foundation and we will enable the future.

I am proud of everything we have done and all the progress we are making to be the valued and trusted business partner that people turn to first.

PS:  I’ve recapped many of the main points from my talk on Friday here, but if you missed the event, you can view my recorded presentation here.