THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK ACKNOWLEDGES THE PAST ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE U OF M IN SHAPING OUR LEADERS, ENHANCING OUR COMMUNITY AND CONDUCTING RESEARCH THAT IS CHANGING THE WORLD. IT LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR FUTURE, AND UNDERSCORES OUR COMMITMENT TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY.

One of the priorities within our Strategic Planning Framework is a commitment to being an outstanding employer, “offering and expecting respect for all staff and faculty, providing opportunities for leadership, growth and development, and recognizing the contributions made at all levels of the organization.” To remain vital and productive, we must recruit, retain and develop committed and engaged faculty and staff.

They are our most valuable assets. We want people to enjoy coming to work, to appreciate their colleagues, to achieve success, to contribute in a meaningful way, and to know that those contributions are valued.

This document presents a university-wide Outstanding Workplace Initiative Strategy to help us achieve greatness. It is informed by U of M community consultations, review of best practices, feedback on a draft Outstanding Workplace Framework, and responses from our 2011 “It’s About Us” Employee Experience Survey.

Now “It’s Up to Us.” All U of M employees share responsibility for creating an outstanding workplace. U of M senior managers are accountable for ensuring that effective workplace supports are available and that all unit plans include a focus on facilitating an outstanding workplace.

Our strategy identifies six university-wide commitments that address areas with the greatest opportunity for enhancement, while also identifying ways to build on our strengths. Over time, we will take action on all of them, as outlined in our Outstanding Workplace Initiative Plan.