It’s been a week of tidying up some bits and pieces, continuing with others. I spent some time going through the Faculty and Staff International Interest Survey results. From the summary it’s clear there’s fabulous collective international experience of those who responded, and it would be good to delve more deeply into those experiences; it’s a rich seam we’re not making the most of. At the same time, given the high levels of stress and overwhelm at the moment, as evidenced by some of the comments at this week’s College conversation, anything we do to ‘mine’ that seam needs to considered as an ongoing process. Thinking of the survey results in terms of the Intercultural Awareness and Activities at NIC Environmental Scan, it would be good to work toward communities of practice where people can share their experiences in the context of educational development opportunities and ongoing experiential learning opportunities (e.g., engaging in COIL). 

It was good to have a monthly review of what I’ve completed / what I need to focus on next. Having reviewed my GLF Action Points & Priorities list, along with my Roles and Responsibilities, and the CTLI 2021-2022 Directions and Actions Timelines, I’m on track in most areas. Finding time for resource building continues to be challenging, and I plan to take a more structured approach next month to ensure this is built into my schedule each week, in the same way I schedule meetings. I’m excited about how to proceeded with the Student Success modules. It’s amazing how ideas come out of conversation in a way that doesn’t happen in the same way when thinking alone. 

This week in my PD course we explored how to lead change without positional authority. In Exerting Influence Without Authority, Keller Johnson (2008) recommends four capabilities  for ‘lateral leadership’ that seem very apt for my GLF role: networking; constructive persuasion and negotiation; consultation; and coalition building. I need more time to reflect on how I would assess my strengths and opportunities for growth in terms of each of these capabilities. Doing so in the context of revising my Professional Development plan (on next week’s ‘hope to do’ list), will help me identify concrete action points that speak to these capabilities. There’s always something new to learn.