Strengthening Collaboration Through Communication: A Sneak Peek into Oxford’s Service Review Approach

An interview with Dan Selinger,  Head of Communications and Engagement – Professional Services at University of Oxford

Please introduce yourself and your role

My background is in journalism in corporate communications. I have worked in the education sector for 15 years, including at Oxford University Press and a government agency.  

I am currently at the University of Oxford, where I am Head of Communications and Engagement – Professional Services. I lead on communications from the central University services to staff and students across the institution, as well as other audiences. 

We are delighted to have you speaking at our upcoming event. Can you give us a sneak peek of what you will be talking about?

I’m going to talk about how we have strengthened collaboration through a review of our communications activities.

A couple of years ago we embarked on a major ‘service review’ of our communications in the central University.  It was a really beneficial experience that has led to lots of improvements in how we manage our comms. 

In my session at the conference I plan to particularly focus on how the review allowed us to encourage collaborative approaches between dispersed teams at a very federated organisation. 

I know that ensuring collaboration between communications teams is a challenge in many workplaces, and I’ll talk about how the Service Review helped us break down some barriers at Oxford. 

What can our attendees expect to learn from your session?

Aside from finding out about more about the University and our service review approach, I hope people will leave with some practical tips about how they can review their own services and improve collaboration between teams. 

What are you most looking forward to about the event?

Am I allowed to say the free lunch!? No, I’m keen to find out how other people are managing common problems and getting some tips on making things better – in particular in the area of digital channels, as that is a big focus for us at the moment. I went to the conference last year, and really enjoyed it – so I’m really looking forward to it. 

Join Dan on the Employee Collaboration Stage at the Employee Engage Summit on the 22nd May.