Driving Transformation Through a People-First Approach

How the University of Birmingham’s StARS Programme Built Stronger Team Connections to Support Change

Building alignment through a people-first approach to transformation

The University of Birmingham’s Student Records System Transformation (StARS) programme is a large, complex change initiative involving diverse stakeholders across the institution. At the centre of this work is the Business Change and Transition team, who wanted to strengthen how they worked together, build closer connections, and explore how individual strengths could contribute to collective success.

The Challenge: Collaboration in a high-pressure transformation

The StARS programme is ambitious, requiring sustained focus, resilience, and strong engagement from staff. For the team, the challenge was not only about delivering on day-to-day tasks but also about creating space to reflect, collaborate, and bring their best selves to the project.

They faced the common pressures of:

• Bringing together new and existing team members, creating uneven confidence levels across the group.
• Balancing ongoing business demands with transformation priorities.
• Adapting to shifting needs as the programme evolved.

Some participants admitted it was initially difficult to step back from delivery pressures, but ultimately they found the space invaluable. The goal was to create an environment where individuals gained personal insight while the team built greater unity and momentum together.

The Strengthify Approach: Blending strengths and Appreciative Inquiry

To support the team, Strengthify designed a tailored session combining strengths-based insights with Appreciative Inquiry techniques.

The workshop created time for the team to:

• Build awareness of their individual and collective strengths.
• Share positive experiences of stakeholder engagement and identify the “core ingredients” of what works.
• Strengthen relationships and understanding within the group.
• Connect their everyday work to the bigger goals of the StARS programme.

By surfacing success stories through Appreciative Inquiry, the team identified practical behaviours they could replicate in future stakeholder engagement. This helped them see what already worked well and how to amplify those successes.

Workshop Impact and Feedback

The workshop received overwhelmingly positive feedback:

• All participants described the workshop as valuable – and three out of four said it was extremely valuable.
• 100% said they would recommend a Strengthify workshop to a colleague.
• Everyone agreed that a strengths-based approach could benefit their work.

Participants especially valued the opportunity to step back, reflect, and connect with one another:

“The Strengthify facilitator created a safe space and encouraged discussion… having someone allow everyone to have a say and be heard is instrumental.”

“It helped me empathise with the perspectives of my colleagues, shift my own biases, and get to know them better.”

“Using my top strengths and understanding the strengths of others will help us work more effectively as a team.”

Outcomes: Building unity and supporting transformation

As a result of the workshop, the team reported:

• Greater awareness of their own and others’ strengths.
• Stronger relationships and improved civility within the group.
• Renewed confidence to bring their best selves to the challenges of transformation.
• A practical foundation for applying appreciative inquiry to future change initiatives.

What’s Next? Building from what works

This workshop showed what can be achieved when a team takes time to explore strengths and successes together. With this type of approach, teams can continue to build resilience, foster collaboration, and turn positive ideas into lasting practices – whether through additional Appreciative Inquiry sessions or integration into wider development programmes.

Ready to explore this for your team?

Our Appreciative Inquiry Workshops help teams pause, reflect, and move forward together, building from what works rather than focusing only on what’s wrong. Designed for NHS, higher education, and wider public sector teams, they create the conditions for optimism, resilience, and sustainable change.

Learn more about our Appreciative Inquiry Programme here and find out how it could support your next transformation.

Interested in how strengths and Appreciative Inquiry can support your transformation project?

Get in touch with us at Strengthify to explore how we can help your team build unity, resilience, and momentum.