It’s easy to mistake coordination for collaboration. But if all we’re doing is showing up to more meetings, without rethinking how we behave, connect and work together, we’re missing the point. In this next post in our series on collaboration we explore why intentionality is everything – and what it really means to lay the right foundations for a connected culture.

Higher education prides itself on collaboration as a core value, and it’s absolutely needed. But all too often our collaborations - especially internal ones - quickly turn sour or fizzle out. In the worst case scenario, we end up restructuring organisations just to improve collaboration. So, why is it often failing and what can we change?

There are increasing calls for collaboration between higher education institutions. These are being driven by the government and sector leaders in response to the sector’s funding crisis and to drive great financial efficiency. But is there a risk that collaboration comes at the cost of differentiation?

In January this year our CEO Tracy Playle had the opportunity to visit KAUST in Saudi Arabia to deliver a whole programme of support, including giving a keynote talk all about overcoming the barriers that we put in our own way to success. Here she shares the recording of her talk.

Universities are known for their sameness and rarely are seen to create bold brands that truly stand out. But now more than ever universities need to embrace the courage to stand out and develop bold brands.

In times of financial crisis, cutting learning and development budgets appears to make sense. But for higher education, cutting those budgets disempowers the very values that we stand for.

Learn how to stay focused on your personal mission and your “why” when the pressure of the now and chasing enrolment numbers might feel all-consuming.

Every education marketer that I have ever worked with truly wants to be able to create impactful campaigns. And yet few of those campaigns really ever rock the world. So, what is the disconnect that has it be this way? And how can we bridge it so that we can really pioneer cutting-edge marketing approaches in the education sector?

Find out what ContentEd Conference is all about, and how to get tickets!

While many people see the power of a creative partnership with a consultancy, so people worry that using consultancy support must mean something bad about them. Here we explore the myths that get in the way of working with a consultancy.

We’ve reached that time of year when we start to receive a flurry of project requests aligned to end of financial year spend. In this post we explore your options and offer advice on making the most of this time and those remaining pockets of budget.

A brilliant project manager is worth their weight in gold. But how much do you also pay attention to how you’re getting in your own way in bringing a project to a successful resolution? Not just what you’re doing, but how you’re being about it?

Often one of the biggest things that gets in the way of getting projects done is our inability to say no to other things that get in the way. In this post, Tracy Playle explores how we can empower ourselves to say no.

What drives you to get out of bed and start work every day? Our CEO encourages you to look into your own personal purpose and mission to delve into why you do the work that you do.

Budget cuts aren’t anything new to the education sector – but this pandemic may tighten the marketing budget even more. Our CEO shares five places to look to in order to still win with a reduced budget.

As the impact of the coronavirus outbreak hits higher education, we’re seeing the #HESM community support and share their advice online. Our Head of Research visualises this in an influencer map of all Twitter conversations around the topic.

An appraisal should serve you and your goals – and workshop activities can provide the space for you to explore that collaboratively. Our Research Analyst shares a few activities to help you reflect on your role whilst imagining your progression.

What tools and resources can help you as a content strategist? The Pickle Jar Communications team suggest some of their favourites.

Who will help you develop a content strategy for your institution? What skills will you need in your team? Our CEO shares the key skills capabilities that you may need to assemble.

Worried about presenting? Our Senior Content Strategist shares his tips for leaving an impact on the audience with your talk, with various fireworks references thrown in for good measure.