The Building Great Places to Work Initiative at the University of Michigan focuses on enhancing local working climates (such as your office), in order to support each of us in working/contributing at our best.

The initiative supports operating units in looking at the quality of their working environments, and endeavoring to become "great places to work." We believe such workplaces are those, more than anything else, where people experience mutual trust, mutual respect, and success. This site is designed to provide tools and support to encourage University operating units to challenge themselves on these parameters.

• Great departments on campus share their successful techniques
• Department heads and managers critically evaluate their own workplaces, and find ideas to make them better
• Faculty and staff members learn about the different workplaces on campus
• Individuals get involved in ideas that change their own workplace for the better

The work so far

Taking advantage of many faculty/staff surveys and focus groups already conducted at UM over the last decade, the Design Team analyzed your responses, and, based on those responses, compiled a Draft Statement of Goals for the University's Workplaces for review and discussion in the campus community.

Because the University is many organizations, with many business purposes and cultures, and because intellectual energy and philosophical disagreement are hallmarks of a university, the statement will remain a draft, for your discussion, revision, and application to your own workplaces.

From those same responses and from nationwide research, the Design Team recognized six areas of importance, for any workplace to be truly great:

Six attributes of great workplaces

1. A climate of trust.
2. Knowledge of the importance of our work, and involvement in achieving meaningful outcomes.
3. Recognition: Knowing that others know our work is meaningful; appreciation for what we do.
4. Career support: Knowing that my department cares about and supports my success, because the more successful I am, the more I contribute to my department's success.
5. A workplace that's flexible, so that people can carry out their family responsibilities AND their work responsibilities.
6. Perks and privileges that go beyond staff benefits, and that are equally available to everyone who works here.

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Background on Building Great Places to Work

Building Great Places to Work (BGPW) began as an initiative of University Human Resources in 2002. A design team of staff from across campus worked through the 2002–2003 academic year to create the format and the approaches you'll see in this website. BGPW is supported by a cross-functional steering committee and a faculty advisory committee.

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Unique solutions for unique units

The Design Team realized that no single, campus-wide campaign could be effective for every part of the University. We are just too different.

Therefore, we will encourage schools, colleges, and service and business units to set their own goals for workplace excellence, to honor their own professional cultures, and to begin when and where it makes sense. Research and projects in some units are already underway!

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We can help

• We've developed this website to provide ideas, models and tools that will help.
• The continuing Steering Committee exists to support you, and to continue to build this web resource.
• You can contact us to consult with you.
• You can contract with HRD to undertake efforts specifically designed to fit your unit.

Now it's up to you! Talk to your colleagues. Explore the website. Look for ideas that fit. Have some fun. And please contact us to offer suggestions or volunteer your time and talents! Together we can make our workplaces sing.