Head of Department Letter June 2025

Communication is difficult

A not uncommon scenario for me in my role as head of department is that I think that all information has gone out in a case, but then I later hear that key people have not received the information. And the question always becomes - assuming that the information really went out - whether it is that the information went out to the wrong or too few channels, or whether the person just forgot that they received something, perhaps the information went out together with too much other information and drowned in the crowd? Finding the right balance between under- and over-information is sometimes a challenge. And sometimes I only have access to incomplete or unclear information - how much should be passed on?

When I am involved in discussions with research groups and the Future Group, it is clear that it is the whole institution that needs to practice communication, not just me.  Part of the discussion is always about the fact that we are largely invisible to each other in the department. There may be a real or perceived distance to others; the students, the office or other research groups and we have received various suggestions on how small changes could help.

One of the reasons we have the intranet is an attempt to create a place where you can find the most relevant information, or links to relevant information, if you can no longer find the email with the new rules. Of course, this requires that you are used to navigating the intranet - so try to check it regularly!

There are other ways to communicate - such as the Rydberg meeting place, departmental and institutional meetings, and of course email. But this isn't always enough - how do we get information out effectively to everyone who needs it? Without forwarding every email to everyone? Have your say, not only on what topics to cover on Rydberg or in the newsletter, but also on how to disseminate information in general. What communication channels are missing? How do we communicate to the curious that Section X has an exciting seminar coming up?

June has just begun so there is a bit more to happen before it's time for holidays - keep an eye on your emails, Rydberg's meeting place and the intranet for more information!

Have a great summer! See you again in the autumn.

Else Lytken
Head of the Department of Physics