On 16th June, I participated in the Leading Across Professional Boundaries 2 - Module 2 which is a Leadership Foundation for Higher Education course. Module 1 was a two day course at the beginning of May and this was the follow up. The course has been very interesting and informative and has given me a lot to think about. I have notes from the first module but have not written them up as a blog post yet (I do intend to) so this is the second module first. That is no bad thing as I've discovered that it has been useful to have the gap in between just to consciously and subconsciously review what I have learnt and to think about how to take action.
Both modules have been facilitated by Doug Parkin, Programme Director, LFHE and he has been great especially at providing a balance between the theory and practical activities, at being upbeat and enthusiastic and for picking up the vibes and behaviours of the group. The group consisted of 8 people who work in professional services in universities and the majority of whom work in information services areas. On each day there have been two other guest speakers / facilitators all of whom have been interesting and informative.
Today, after the welcome and introductions, we looked at reviewing boundaries and how everyone's ideas have changed in the last few weeks. What things we've started doing and stopped doing, doing differently or thinking of doing. There were quite a few common themes including delegating, letting team members have autonomy, prioritising, networking and using strategies in meetings and interactions. These definitely apply to me and also trying to clarify purpose and position. Need to balance freedom with control, invest in relationships and try to delegate not just allocate.
Then Liz Jolly, Director of Library and Information Services at Teesside University, gave a great presentation about 'Shifting boundaries - internal integration and external collaboration'. There were a lot of interesting things to consider that Liz talked about especially to do with introducing change and developing staff.
The main points that I noted were:
Align team/dept with the university
Involve staff as much as possible but if they can't be involved eg staff restructure, then keep informed. Invite staff to be involved.
There are different reactions to change - human reactions
Find allies and the language to do change / developments / projects
Develop your own vision
Frame how you work so that others understand
Empower staff - support the development of others
Myers Briggs - for self and for staff in dept. I'm definitely going to explore more what my Myers Briggs type means and how it affects the way I work. How it makes working with some people easy and others more difficult. Also find out, if possible, what other people are so that I can understand how they like to work. I know that some people are sceptical about Myers Briggs but I think it is useful to look at how to understand each other better in a team and make those difficult situations easier.
After a quick refreshment break we re-formed our action learning groups from the previous module. This time we each had the opportunity to either continue with the issue we had talked about last time or to start a new one. I chose a new one as I think I've made a bit of progress with the other. Action learning sets are difficult but at the same time fascinating. They are useful - for me I need to acknowledge that you have to talk it through and then all of a sudden someone will mention something and it makes me look at the issue differently. So approx 90% talking / answering and then 10% insight. The make up of the group makes a big difference - not necessarily in the effectiveness but in the process.
After lunch, Peter McCaffery, Deputy Vice Chancellor, London Metropolitan University gave a talk and Q&A on 'Leading collaboratively in a climate of change and complexity'. It was a very useful and insightful view of HE and how Universities work within the educational and political landscape. He included information and thoughts about stakeholders, external drivers, the student experience and effective leadership and management. He also outlined some predictions for the future. There was time to ask questions which was a great opportunity and led to some interesting questions and answers. I asked about how to achieve a balance between being transparent and open when dealing with people and also being successful in the politics and power interactions in a university.
After this talk we had the plenary and wrap up of the day. It has been an excellent course and I've enjoyed it and more importantly have been able to learn about how I can develop and improve as a leader. The people delivering the course have been professional and effective and easy to communicate with. The other participants have been friendly, interesting and good company.
Friday 3 July 2015
Wednesday 21 January 2015
Finding a mentor and setting the scene #mentoring
During 2013 - 2014 I participated in the Leadership Foundation Aurora programme. As part of this initiative Heriot-Watt University offered all participants the opportunity to have a mentor within the university. This worked well for me and was a valuable experience and I blogged about it here http://bit.ly/1zwbvDc
It also made me realise what I wanted from a mentor and that this would be different at different stages of my role within a university and at different times in my career. In fact the realisation that asking for help and pro-actively seeking a mentor is an important decision and is a positive step. Some people do not want mentoring and I can understand this as it is difficult to articulate difficulties or challenges that you have without feeling negative or feeling like a failure. But pro-actively seeking a mentor is a good thing to do and an opportunity. So you have to self-mentor in order to have the confidence to ask and go for it. Of course, there will be instances when people do not want to be a mentor, I have experienced this but for the most part people are very willing and engaging. I also wanted to make the decision myself as to who I would ask as I had a good idea of what I was looking for and I take it quite seriously.
The two previous mentors that I have had have both been very efficient and effective with a straight forward approach probably similar to mine. This has been useful as it enabled me to take their suggestions on board and fit them with a way of working that I could manage. But this time I thought it would be useful to ask someone who could give me a different perspective on challenges and also someone outside of the institution that I work in.
During 2012 - 2013 I worked at the University of Edinburgh as the Student Information Points Manager which was part of the university Student Experience Project. The Student Experience Project manager is Mark Wilkinson. He started in the role a few months after me and was my line manager for a while until I moved to Heriot-Watt. This meant that we got to know each other a bit over a short period of time so have a basis of trust and respect. As well as being very good at his job he is a person of integrity which is important to me in a mentor - trustworthy but not always too serious. Also he has a good way of pointing out things that you might be doing wrong without you feeling bad about it. I contacted him to see if he would be interested in mentoring and included a brief summary of what I was interested in discussing as broad headings.
Managing and leadership – similarities and differences
Managing people and managing teams within a professional service.
Change management - ideas about effectively managing a change project or initiative.
Influencing and negotiating
How to make the most of opportunities that arise within a University and recognising how they may be of use to me in my career development
He was happy to take part in mentoring and we agreed to meet up on a regular basis once or twice a semester. So far we have had 2 meetings and it has been very useful. In our first meeting we talked about a variety of topics, general and specific including:
So far so good and it has definitely been useful to look at things from a different perspective and from someone who I know but have not got a long history of working with closely. Mentoring, for me, is different to line managing - I have a line manager, she is very good, I'm not trying to replicate that working relationship. I don't feel under pressure to resolve issues which is good for me as in my normal working situation I am very solution focused. Mentoring is providing a structured and informed, by someone with experience and insight, opportunity for me to stand back and have a look at what I'm doing and what I would like to do.
It also made me realise what I wanted from a mentor and that this would be different at different stages of my role within a university and at different times in my career. In fact the realisation that asking for help and pro-actively seeking a mentor is an important decision and is a positive step. Some people do not want mentoring and I can understand this as it is difficult to articulate difficulties or challenges that you have without feeling negative or feeling like a failure. But pro-actively seeking a mentor is a good thing to do and an opportunity. So you have to self-mentor in order to have the confidence to ask and go for it. Of course, there will be instances when people do not want to be a mentor, I have experienced this but for the most part people are very willing and engaging. I also wanted to make the decision myself as to who I would ask as I had a good idea of what I was looking for and I take it quite seriously.
The two previous mentors that I have had have both been very efficient and effective with a straight forward approach probably similar to mine. This has been useful as it enabled me to take their suggestions on board and fit them with a way of working that I could manage. But this time I thought it would be useful to ask someone who could give me a different perspective on challenges and also someone outside of the institution that I work in.
During 2012 - 2013 I worked at the University of Edinburgh as the Student Information Points Manager which was part of the university Student Experience Project. The Student Experience Project manager is Mark Wilkinson. He started in the role a few months after me and was my line manager for a while until I moved to Heriot-Watt. This meant that we got to know each other a bit over a short period of time so have a basis of trust and respect. As well as being very good at his job he is a person of integrity which is important to me in a mentor - trustworthy but not always too serious. Also he has a good way of pointing out things that you might be doing wrong without you feeling bad about it. I contacted him to see if he would be interested in mentoring and included a brief summary of what I was interested in discussing as broad headings.
Managing and leadership – similarities and differences
Managing people and managing teams within a professional service.
Change management - ideas about effectively managing a change project or initiative.
Influencing and negotiating
How to make the most of opportunities that arise within a University and recognising how they may be of use to me in my career development
He was happy to take part in mentoring and we agreed to meet up on a regular basis once or twice a semester. So far we have had 2 meetings and it has been very useful. In our first meeting we talked about a variety of topics, general and specific including:
Discussion about mentoring and what we could both gain from the experienceThe format of our meetings i.e. an opportunity to talk about
work situations in general and also an opportunity to look at specific
challenges and strategies for coping with and resolving them. Building teams – inheriting 'embedded staff' and how to clarify 'how you would like them to work' Values – recognising values and matching them to the role that
you work in. Common values bring common purpose to team. Finding a balance between seeking consensus and setting out a
position. Clarifying your position as a manager for your team and also for
line manager. Setting a challenge – one thing to work on before next meeting
So far so good and it has definitely been useful to look at things from a different perspective and from someone who I know but have not got a long history of working with closely. Mentoring, for me, is different to line managing - I have a line manager, she is very good, I'm not trying to replicate that working relationship. I don't feel under pressure to resolve issues which is good for me as in my normal working situation I am very solution focused. Mentoring is providing a structured and informed, by someone with experience and insight, opportunity for me to stand back and have a look at what I'm doing and what I would like to do.
Monday 11 August 2014
Leadership Foundation Aurora - reflections from participating in the Aurora programme #LFAurora
Leadership Foundation Aurora - what I have learnt from participating in the programme, from background reading, from liaising with others and from reflecting.
- I have increased my knowledge of what it means to be a manager and a leader and the differences between the two roles as well as the complementary skills.
- It has enabled me to look at my professional identity and how I should develop
- Opportunities - be prepared to take them, don't take them all, choose carefully, don't self-sabotage
- Engage with others, use their energy - make the most of people that you know - ask for help and advice
- Learn to manage difficult conversations
- Try to establish a clarity of purpose, even if in reality there are inconsistencies and contradictions, and communicate it.
- Find a way of dealing with the negatives and be able to put them to one side.
- Quick wins and visibility - consider embracing these even if it's not your usual way of operating
- Power and politics - you have to realise that it's there, it's not possible to opt out
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Heriot-Watt #LFAurora
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Heriot-Watt #LFAurora
A session was held during International Women's Week to evaluate the Aurora programme to date
A session was held during International Women's Week to evaluate the Aurora programme to date
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Mentoring #LFAurora
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Mentoring #LFAurora
As part of the commitment by Heriot-Watt University to the LF Aurora programme, all participants have been offered a mentor within the university. The mentors are women in senior positions.
Before being allocated a mentor, we had to fill in a short form saying what we would like from mentoring. These were my suggestions:
As part of the commitment by Heriot-Watt University to the LF Aurora programme, all participants have been offered a mentor within the university. The mentors are women in senior positions.
Before being allocated a mentor, we had to fill in a short form saying what we would like from mentoring. These were my suggestions:
What would you like to gain from
the mentoring relationship?
An opportunity to discuss
with a person in a senior position in the University how they have advanced
their career in the HE sector.
Also to discuss how opportunities that arise within the University may be of use to me in my career development and strategies for optimising these opportunities.
Also to discuss how opportunities that arise within the University may be of use to me in my career development and strategies for optimising these opportunities.
Do you have any particular areas
of learning or interest at this stage that you would like to explore in the
mentoring?
Managing and leadership –
similarities and differences
Managing people, managing
teams within a professional service
Influencing and
negotiating
Describe the type of individual
you believe would be best suited to you within the mentoring relationship. (Please use
experience, level and area of working within the University, education,
personal qualities, skills, and interests etc. as indicators as appropriate.)
I would prefer a mentor
who is a member of a Professional Services rather than an academic as I feel
this would be more relevant to me – but not from my own directorate i.e.
Information Services.
I would prefer someone who
while being a good listener, has lots of practical suggestions to offer and
strategies for success within the University.
Career development at this
University and at other institutions is of interest to me so it would be good
to have a mentor who had a variety of experience at different institutions.
Change management is of
interest to me so someone who has effectively managed a large change project or
initiative would be of value.
I was allocated a mentor and we met a number of times. It was a very useful experience and provided me with valuable insights into the workings of the institution and how to operate in a university environment.
My mentor is a very hardworking and efficient person and it made me realise that that when you work in Professional Services you have to be able cover a lot of ground and be effective in a lot of areas. But is this what leads to success? is it by definition more difficult when you are not an academic as you don't have that as your reason for being - are you always going to be a jack of all trades....
We focused on certain tasks and she gave me advice on how to manage change within my team, how to motivate staff and to move things forward. It was a straightforward approach which I appreciated and was relatively easy for me to work with. It helped me clarify to myself and to my team what we were meant to be doing and ways of doing this in Heriot-Watt University.
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Core Leadership Skills #LFAurora
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Core Leadership Skills #LFAurora
Welcome by Ginnie Willis, Programme Director.
Introduction to the day by Rebecca Nestor.
Introduction to Leadership - it is important to practice leadership behaviours and to choose opportunities carefully.
Core leadership skills - people are more likely to do things for you if they know why. Complex tasks need more than simple rewards.
People are motivated by autonomy, mastery and purpose. It is good for motivation if people know why they do what they do. Discussion about the processes that are used within organisations to let people know what they are trying to achieve. But it is important to remember that in the real world / everyday life there are lots of inconsistencies and contradictions - what you can achieve and what motivates people is dependent on context.
Welcome by Ginnie Willis, Programme Director.
Introduction to the day by Rebecca Nestor.
Introduction to Leadership - it is important to practice leadership behaviours and to choose opportunities carefully.
Core leadership skills - people are more likely to do things for you if they know why. Complex tasks need more than simple rewards.
People are motivated by autonomy, mastery and purpose. It is good for motivation if people know why they do what they do. Discussion about the processes that are used within organisations to let people know what they are trying to achieve. But it is important to remember that in the real world / everyday life there are lots of inconsistencies and contradictions - what you can achieve and what motivates people is dependent on context.
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Action Learning Set #LFAurora
Leadership Foundation Aurora - Action Learning Set #LFAurora
The action learning set was a valuable day because:
The action learning set was a valuable day because:
- It was an opportunity to work with other people that I wouldn't normally work with
- All of the people in the group were efficient, resourceful and knowledgeable and also empathetic and understanding
- It was an opportunity to work in a group for a purpose and in a format and structure i.e. an action learning set, that I hadn't experienced before
- It was a safe environment in which to share issues
- It was interesting to hear other peoples issues and recognise similar challenges
- It was useful to talk things through and be guided to find my own solutions
- It was valuable to be offered objective solutions from others
(Although we followed the action learning process in not proffering solutions, we decided that it was ok to have an additional part to the session when we did offer advice and suggestions)
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