On today's Unpacking Your Chair module, we had an fascinating conversation with Newcastle's VC, Professor Chris Brink.
He started by giving his view on the role of the professoriate: 'to profess.'
But he proceeded to expand and explore this by discussing two mathematicians: first G. H. Hardy and then Alan Turing. He read a number of extracts from Hardy's apologia, in which Hardy argues for the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and goes on to boast of the fact that nothing he has done is of any practical utility, and finally to lament that fact that, as creative research in Maths is a 'young man's game' his life is, to all intents and purposes, over: having reached middle age, there is nothing more he can add to his life's work.
Professor Brink was quick to agree with the pursuit of knowledge being worthy in its own right, but challenged whether Hardy's account was the whole story.
To make this point, he then told us a part of Turing's story of which I, at least, had previously been unaware. Before the war, Turing (another pure mathematician) left Cambridge for Princeton. There, as the war-clouds gathered, he realised that code-breaking was likely to be of great importance, and decided to investigate the computability of de-coding - including building his own rudimentary kit (illicitly) in the Physics workshop in 1937. The day after war was declared, in 1939, he reported to Bletchley, and the rest, to coin a cliché, is history.
Professor Brink's point was that interest in, and engagement with, the world beyond one's discipline or institution is also of high value: Turing's work on codes and the machinery to decode them was a direct precursor of his involvement in the Manchester computer. His engagement with real world problems, as well as winning the battle of the Atlantic, also reinvigorated and informed his continuing research.
And as for Impact...
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Heart Warming
It is always good to receive emails that say that an event left someone feeling 'both enthused and energised.'
It followed last week's Cardiff Futures workshop, which left me, too, feeling enthused and energised. This module was on building and academic career and focused a lot on research.
As usual we had a series of invigorating conversations with a mix of high-level internal guests and an external speaker, Guy Orpen, the PVC for research at Bristol, as well as an opportunity to reflect on time management and the practicalities of applying for promotion.
We also heard from the participants how their projects are going, and how they plan to develop them further: this was done in a Dragons' Den format; so they presented and were then quizzed by a panel of senior colleagues, who decided which team to award further funding to. I was impressed both by how much they have already achieved and by the scale of their ambition.
We are now just over half-way through Cardiff Futures, and it is apparent that the group has really gelled. I look forward to the remaining modules being equally enthusing and energising.
It followed last week's Cardiff Futures workshop, which left me, too, feeling enthused and energised. This module was on building and academic career and focused a lot on research.
As usual we had a series of invigorating conversations with a mix of high-level internal guests and an external speaker, Guy Orpen, the PVC for research at Bristol, as well as an opportunity to reflect on time management and the practicalities of applying for promotion.
We also heard from the participants how their projects are going, and how they plan to develop them further: this was done in a Dragons' Den format; so they presented and were then quizzed by a panel of senior colleagues, who decided which team to award further funding to. I was impressed both by how much they have already achieved and by the scale of their ambition.
We are now just over half-way through Cardiff Futures, and it is apparent that the group has really gelled. I look forward to the remaining modules being equally enthusing and energising.
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Time Management Reminders
On a recent event when we discussed time management, someone asked if I could suggest a few reminders they could email to each other to help stick to their good intentions.
The idea is that an ‘external conscience’ is often more powerful than our own internal commitments. 'I could email myself a reminder,’ as one person put it, ‘but I’d just hit delete. But if it’s from a colleague...’
So here are some one-liners you might like to send (or receive) to remind you of good time management practices. They range from simple reminders to more thought-provoking questions. You will notice that I like questions! (Incidentally, I highly recommend 'The Interrogative Mood - A Novel?' by Padgett Powell - entirely in questions, and it works!)
Anyway, back to the Time Management reminders:
How is your Perfect Week coming along?
How well are you resisting urgent trivia this week?
Have you planned this week well?
How many interruptions have you refused today?
How well are you conquering your email addiction
What did you learn about your time management when you reviewed last week?
Have you worked on something truly important today? (or this week?)
How are you getting on with important, non-urgent, activities?
How can you build on your successes so far?
How well are you rewarding yourself for sticking to your good resolutions?
... and so on...
Monday, 28 January 2013
The Power of Story
Reflecting on last week's launch of Unpacking Your Chair (cohort 2) Gerry Docherty commented on the power of simply giving people the space and time to tell their story.
That was indeed powerful: listening to the participants, one at a time, reflecting on their journey so far, their learning from that, and their thoughts on what was important for the future, was a fascinating experience. Some common themes emerged, but also a rich mix of quite individual, unique experiences and perspectives.
That was enabled both by participants' readiness to share quite openly, and also by the careful (and deliberately minimal) structure and guidance which we provided in setting that session up.
As a result, each person's story about what it means to be a professor is enhanced; they are also beginning to form a story of themselves as a cohort, and we hope they will develop both of those stories fruitfully through the programme. Certainly last year's cohort emerged with rich and powerful stories of the future to which, individually and collectively, they aspired; and these are grounded in positive and sophisticated stories of who they are and the road they have travelled so far.
This, of course, is the kind of process which I am exploring in my slowly-evolving book. It is (I say somewhat hesitantly) finally taking shape - in that I am well on the way to finishing the first draft. But don't hold your breath...
That was indeed powerful: listening to the participants, one at a time, reflecting on their journey so far, their learning from that, and their thoughts on what was important for the future, was a fascinating experience. Some common themes emerged, but also a rich mix of quite individual, unique experiences and perspectives.
That was enabled both by participants' readiness to share quite openly, and also by the careful (and deliberately minimal) structure and guidance which we provided in setting that session up.
As a result, each person's story about what it means to be a professor is enhanced; they are also beginning to form a story of themselves as a cohort, and we hope they will develop both of those stories fruitfully through the programme. Certainly last year's cohort emerged with rich and powerful stories of the future to which, individually and collectively, they aspired; and these are grounded in positive and sophisticated stories of who they are and the road they have travelled so far.
This, of course, is the kind of process which I am exploring in my slowly-evolving book. It is (I say somewhat hesitantly) finally taking shape - in that I am well on the way to finishing the first draft. But don't hold your breath...
Friday, 25 January 2013
New Website
I have just realised that I have never announced the launch of the new Andrew Scott wwwsite on this blog.
So now I have.
I will be interested in any feedback on style, navigability and, of course, content. I will be even more interested if it inspires you to want to talk to me about some exciting new project!
So now I have.
I will be interested in any feedback on style, navigability and, of course, content. I will be even more interested if it inspires you to want to talk to me about some exciting new project!
Unpacking Your Chair: Take Two!
It's been fairly busy this week, with an Influencing Skills Workshop, a Time Management seminar, coaching for clients from three different organisations, and the first day of the Unpacking Your Chair programme.
Unpacking Your Chair is the programme for relatively new professors at Newcastle University, which we launched a couple of years ago, and which has just won the award for excellence in Leadership Development in the Times Higher Awards ceremony.
So while we are confident that it is a good programme, there was a slight feeling that we had a lot to live up to, as we kicked off the second programme; not least because the success of the first was in large part due to the quality of participants who attended and what they brought to the programme.
We need not have worried. This year, the participants seem equally engaged and committed: we had a fascinating first day, with people sharing - with remarkable openness - their stories of their journeys so far, and what is important to them going forwards. We also had an stimulating conversation with a seasoned professor, Andy Gillespie, reflecting on a typology of professors drawn from his experience.
An hour of the afternoon was dedicated to considering what they would value from the rest of the programme: one of the features of the programme being that we co-create it each time with the participants, rather than assume in advance that we know what they need to learn.
They came up with some excellent themes to explore, and some good ideas of people they'd like to discuss them with. All we have to do now is to invite people and hope that some of their diaries allow them to join us, and design sessions that will stimulate the kind of debate that last year's participants found so valuable.
It's always good to work with Liz Kemp and Gerry Docherty, who co-design and co-run the programme; in fact the only cloud on the horizon is that Gerry, the Academic Lead for the programme, whose ideas, style and commitment played a large part in both getting it off the ground and its subsequent success, has just accepted a new role in Brisbane. He will be a hard act to follow, and we will all miss him.
Liz, (L) Gerry (seated R), and me with three of the cohort one participants (Adam, Kathryn and Mike) in a publicity shot for the THE Award.
Unpacking Your Chair is the programme for relatively new professors at Newcastle University, which we launched a couple of years ago, and which has just won the award for excellence in Leadership Development in the Times Higher Awards ceremony.
So while we are confident that it is a good programme, there was a slight feeling that we had a lot to live up to, as we kicked off the second programme; not least because the success of the first was in large part due to the quality of participants who attended and what they brought to the programme.
We need not have worried. This year, the participants seem equally engaged and committed: we had a fascinating first day, with people sharing - with remarkable openness - their stories of their journeys so far, and what is important to them going forwards. We also had an stimulating conversation with a seasoned professor, Andy Gillespie, reflecting on a typology of professors drawn from his experience.
An hour of the afternoon was dedicated to considering what they would value from the rest of the programme: one of the features of the programme being that we co-create it each time with the participants, rather than assume in advance that we know what they need to learn.
They came up with some excellent themes to explore, and some good ideas of people they'd like to discuss them with. All we have to do now is to invite people and hope that some of their diaries allow them to join us, and design sessions that will stimulate the kind of debate that last year's participants found so valuable.
It's always good to work with Liz Kemp and Gerry Docherty, who co-design and co-run the programme; in fact the only cloud on the horizon is that Gerry, the Academic Lead for the programme, whose ideas, style and commitment played a large part in both getting it off the ground and its subsequent success, has just accepted a new role in Brisbane. He will be a hard act to follow, and we will all miss him.
Liz, (L) Gerry (seated R), and me with three of the cohort one participants (Adam, Kathryn and Mike) in a publicity shot for the THE Award.
Friday, 11 January 2013
A fascinating day...
Yesterday we had the third day of the Cardiff Futures programme: how the University really works.
It proved to be a fascinating day, including conversations with the Deputy Vice Chancellor and the Chief Operating Officer, the Chair of Council, and the Treasurer, as well as an outside perspective from the VC of neighbouring Aberystwyth University. Participants also took on the roles of members of Senate, Council, the Executive Board and so on to consider a hypothetical issue from multiple perspectives, and looked at a real paper that had been considered by the University Executive Board - reaching similar conclusions (in some cases!) to the ones the Board had actually reached.
In response to participants' requests, we also squeezed lunch and shortened one of the exercises in order to create time for them to work on their projects, which they are developing throughout the programme.
The day closed with the Action Learning Sets that are an integral part of the whole process: and it was encouraging to hear the insights and progress many had made on the issues each has personally chosen to address.
It was a packed day, and the time flew by: energy levels were high, and I certainly learned a lot: I will be interested in participants' feedback, as always.
It proved to be a fascinating day, including conversations with the Deputy Vice Chancellor and the Chief Operating Officer, the Chair of Council, and the Treasurer, as well as an outside perspective from the VC of neighbouring Aberystwyth University. Participants also took on the roles of members of Senate, Council, the Executive Board and so on to consider a hypothetical issue from multiple perspectives, and looked at a real paper that had been considered by the University Executive Board - reaching similar conclusions (in some cases!) to the ones the Board had actually reached.
In response to participants' requests, we also squeezed lunch and shortened one of the exercises in order to create time for them to work on their projects, which they are developing throughout the programme.
The day closed with the Action Learning Sets that are an integral part of the whole process: and it was encouraging to hear the insights and progress many had made on the issues each has personally chosen to address.
It was a packed day, and the time flew by: energy levels were high, and I certainly learned a lot: I will be interested in participants' feedback, as always.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
