Smart Innovation Hub – Keele University

Learning from our COVID-19 experiences: A move to agile working

Dr Mark Bacon, Chief Operating Officer and Rachel Adams, Director of Human Resources will be joined by two experts in the study and practice of flexible working: Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE, Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Manchester Business School and Gemma Dale, Engagement and Wellbeing at Manchester University.

Keele University – Live Event

Learning from our COVID-19 experiences: A move to agile working

16 JuLY 2020 – 15:00pm – 17:00PM

COVID-19 has forced almost every organisation, to re-think its working arrangements and practices.

The period of national lockdown from 23rd March saw the vast majority of Keele staff move to home working. Some three months later, as individuals and managers, each of us will have had different experiences of home working, both positive and negative.

Feedback from staff gathered, formally and informally, has revealed a range of responses from those who have thrived and have been more productive through to those who have coped but have found the experience problematic for a variety of reasons.

Looking to the future of work, there is much speculation that the traditional office is obsolete and the future of work is remote, enabled by technology and a conducive organisational culture.

  • Will ‘work’ have a place in the future?
  • What are the opportunities for us at Keele?
  • What can we learn from the past few months and how might this inform our “new normal” working practices?
  • Do we want to embrace a different kind of working model?
  • What benefits might this bring?

These are some of the questions that we will be exploring a the ULG webinar on 16th July 3-5pm when Dr Mark Bacon, Chief Operating Officer and Rachel Adams, Director of Human Resources will be joined by two experts in the study and practice of flexible working: Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE, Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Manchester Business School and Gemma Dale, Engagement and Wellbeing at Manchester University.

Live Session Hosts

Meet the Presenters

Gemma Dale

Independent HR Consultant, Lecturer (Liverpool John Moores University), Writer, Coach. FCIPD.

Gemma is an experienced HR Director, a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, and a regular speaker and writer on a variety of HR topics including employee engagement, flexible...

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working, wellbeing and social media. Gemma is the co-author of several books on HR, social media and wellbeing. Gemma’s book ‘Flexible Working’ will be published in December 2020.

Gemma is a Keele Graduate and a lecturer in the Business School at Liverpool John Moores University, as well as running her own business, The Work Consultancy where she focuses on focuses on policy development, flexible working and wellbeing.

Sir Cary Cooper

Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at the Manchester Business School, University of Manchester

Sir Cary is an American-born British psychologist and 50th Anniversary Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at the University of Manchester.

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Cary is a past President of Relate, Clinical Advisor to Anxiety UK, President of the Institute of Welfare, President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and past President of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Cary is also a director of well-being specialists and business psychologists at Robertson Cooper Limited. Cooper has been described as the media’s first choice for comment on workplace issues and is often interviewed by the UK press for both news and current affairs.

Dr Mark Bacon

Chief Operating Officer, Keele University.

Rachel Adams

HR Director, Keele University.

Event Registration

Register to Attend – Online Interactive Session.

Our Business Clinics take place online streaming live from a variety of locations across Staffordshire, so there will always be support available to you, regardless of your location. The online sessions are great a way for you to discuss your business needs and ideas with one of our qualified business advisors.