The five Ways We Work guiding principles are designed to support units and supervisors in making decisions - about work practices, including how, when and where employees work. To ensure alignment between the Ways We Work guiding principles and our university values, each guiding principle has been mapped to the supporting university value.
A Practical Guide to Implementing the Ways We Work Guiding Principles for the Ann Arbor campus is available for unit leaders, and provides a consistent framework for making decisions about work practices. The guide will create a shared understanding across the Ann Arbor campus of the guiding principles for decision-making with their teams.
| Ways We Work Guiding Principle | Ways We Work Definition | University Value Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| Advance the Mission | Support the advancement of the university's mission by aligning the critical contributions of employees with existing and innovative work practices that retain and attract top talent. | Innovation, Respect, Inclusion |
| Create and Elevate an Engaged Community | Promote an engaged work environment through expressions of appreciation for employees and by creating opportunities for relationship building and partnership. | Respect, Inclusion |
| Enable Employee Success and Development | Create an environment that enables employees to do their best work, values the contributions of all employees in making the University of Michigan a top public university, and supports employee development. | Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, Respect |
| Ensure Transparency in Setting Work Practices | Provide clarity and transparency for employees to understand the reasoning behind decisions about their work practices. Work arrangements should be based on transparent and consistent criteria that are aligned with job functions and take into account business needs. | Integrity, Equity |
| Innovate and Adapt | Commit to continued partnerships within and among units to create innovative and adaptable ways to perform work that reflect the evolving needs and best interests of the university and its faculty, staff and students. | Inclusion, Diversity, Innovation |