Breaking Silos and Initiating Change

Presenter: Sheriden Kuech & Katy Bangs

Institution: Imperial College London

Format: Presentation

In Higher Education, change is inevitable - but transformation is optional. While institutions invest heavily in systems and strategies, the most significant barriers to progress are often human, not technical. This presentation explores the critical issue of silos within HE institutions - how they form, why they persist, and what it takes to break them down.

Drawing on real-world observations and institutional experience, we’ll focus on how a lack of visibility into other teams’ processes often leads to duplicated efforts, misaligned priorities, and resistance to change. We’ll ask the question: how well do we really understand each other’s work, and how does that impact progress?

We’ll explore how starting the right conversations - early, transparently, and across boundaries - can reshape institutional culture. Attendees will reflect on their own spheres of influence, discover practical methods for initiating cross-team collaboration, and evaluate the effectiveness (and limitations) of established change management techniques.

This session is particularly relevant for professional services teams, academic departments, and project leaders navigating transformation. Whether you’re implementing a new system, restructuring teams, or simply trying to improve everyday collaboration, this session offers actionable insights to help move from isolated effort to shared progress.