This morning’s Memex 1.1, John Naughton’s Substack newsletter, including this quote by Dave Winer: “There’s nothing more permanent than a temporary hack.” and it feels like a great theme for my day today, which I am spending sorting through my own temporary hacks from the past 15 years.
It’s my day to clean out my archive of files and emails at ALT, the last steps in a long handover process. Documents I filed away in 2017 to be reviewed later are stacked alongside old references I have written for former employees and pictures from past keynotes.
Most of this stuff can just be deleted all together, but I am mindful that some things are important for the organisation’s history and legal records, GDPR permitting.
What I am pondering if how many times I didn’t circle back to things I implemented as a temporary hack, and hence today’s quote really chimed with me. Here are some examples of what I’ve come across:
My CMALT portfolio that I published in a Google folder (an organisation-hosted Google folder, for which, I just discovered, you can’t transfer ownership outside of your organisation’s domain);
An email filter I set up in 2015 when I first joint a very busy Jiscmail list, and which has quietly filled up a folder with tens of thousands of emails since… EEEEK;
A shortcut to a file to a shortcut to a file to a shortcut to a file….;
Lists of things I want to do, and a lot fewer lists of things I did! Fortunately I discovered a file with old appraisals going back to 2008, so hopefully somewhere in there are records of what I accomplished in more detail than the lists I sporadically kept.
Even Gmails hefty power is taking time to delete all the emails, one year at a time. It feels extremely satisfying however, and is also necessary, as my new free-lance role within the organisation is limited to a specific project and I want to ensure that I have a clean footprint on which to work.
As I delete things, I also need to bring some order to my own domain, and again the newsletter provided some inspiration in the form is this XKCD comic about university websites:
University Website (XKCD, 773)
It’s easy to fall into the same traps for one’s own website as organisational ones.
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Yep, this is another post about houseplants… or rather things we can learn from plants. I’ve previously published leadership lessons from office plants and in the same spirit this post is all about houseplant inspired tips for managing a period of change or transition.
It’s inspired by my own experience of moving between jobs this month and my adventures in caring for a growing collecting of plants in my home and home office. It’s the first time in a long while that I am changing jobs, but the last few years have brought so much uncertainty with them that I feel I have quite a lot of practice of coping with the unexpected. What the last few years have also highlighted for me is how important it is for us to have strategies for periods of transition – and like many I found solace and inspiration in bringing a bit of green indoors.
So in the spirit of open practice, here are my personal reflections and practical tips. You can also listen related episode of my podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Allowing time to be less productive
One of the things I have struggled with a lot in recent months is just how much there is I don’t know or can’t control, both when it comes to changing jobs and also in relation to my plant collection. Although I am looking forward to the changes ahead, it’s still disconcerting not to know what the next day, week or month will bring, how it will feel, if what’s ahead is fun or frightening. While I have plenty of practice in dealing with uncertainty both professionally and personally, the emotional toll of not know is still there.
Hence there is a lot of need to get comfortable with accepting what I can’t control and to sit with my feelings, comfortable with being uncomfortable. Spending time with plants is one way of making that space and time to acknowledge to myself (and where appropriate to others) what I am feeling. I might go for a walk or sit quietly somewhere, or lie on the sofa cuddling my dog. The particulars don’t really matter. What does matter is that in that extra time I need I am not being as productive as usual. I am not achieving or working in the way I usually do. It’s a season of change, and just like my plants aren’t always growing new leaves or in bloom, I am adjusting and trying to enjoy this period for what it is.
Reflecting to gain perspective
Reflecting is a key part of my professional practice. I like reflecting in conversation, by writing in my journal, or just thinking about things. That said, at the moment I am finding it difficult to focus. I sit in front of a blank page and I can’t find the words to start. There seems to be too much to reflect on to know where to start, or indeed everything I can think of doesn’t seem worth mentioning.
Fortunately, I have a coach whom I get to lean on in times when my own capacity to gain perspective is low, but I also found some prompts to help me reflect. What I do is to start on a fresh page, and write down 3-5 questions that I then answer in turn. Here are some examples of the kind of questions I ask myself:
What was hard today?
How would you like tomorrow to be different?
What do you wish you had done or said differently?
Why are you feeling the way you do?
What has changed in the past week/month?
What are you looking forward to next?
What would you wish would go away?
I have some very small succulents at the moment, and they are so interesting to watch. Day to day they don’t really change, and sometimes I give them to much water or too little, and some of them don’t like it, but with patience, they do change and grow and you can also really see those changes over a period of time. Similarly, in my journal, I can usually only spot the patterns when I look back at what I wrote 3 months or even a few years ago. It serves to remind me that my current perspective is always limited by the here and now.
Focus on what stays constant
Even in times of transition many things remain the same and it can help to focus on these. For me, it’s easiest to find constants in my home, my daily routine and my own skills and capacity. Here are some examples:
Home: I like finding my favourite comfy spots to read and have tea. Particularly during a stressful day, I enjoy looking out of the window and observing the outside world. I also have a great fondness for plants, and I have about 10-15 houseplants in my office. Plants change at a much slower rate, as they grow and develop. I enjoy observing them closely and soak up some of their patience and calm along the way.
Daily routine: tea in the morning, walking the dogs, even answering emails can be comforting routines. I really enjoy routines and habits, even though my week is not planned out in every respect. I like having flexibility to decide when I want to exercise or do chores, but doing familiar things is still comforting.
Skills and competencies: one of the things I find most comforting about change is that I can continue to rely on my own skills and competencies even when the context in which I apply them changes. For instance, I love planning and organising things. I enjoy being creative and producing content. My work rate is extremely high, and I get a lot done. All of these aspects remain the same, and I try to lean into those strengths.
This plant, an Oxalis, arrived at my office from a local plant fair very recently. It usually grows near water, like a brook or stream, and is used to having some sun, but not too much, and to be kept moist and not dry out. So far, I am happy to say, I haven’t managed to kill it, but there’s always a high probability of failure with a new plant I am still learning about. I don’t know yet how the plant will adapt to my office, or what it might need. Context is everything, and with a change in environment there’s always a risk of failure. Like with plants, people, too, need conditions to thrive, and they provide a constant reminder of that.
There are other strategies that work for me at the moment, including making time to practice gratitude, taking breaks, planning for a holiday and re-inventing some of my weekly routines. In short, everything I do when moving at ‘plant pace’ (slow, intentional, balanced, looking after my needs) feel good and are helpful in this period of transition.
There are also some things that aren’t working for me:
Can’t rush settling in
One of the aspects about change that frustrates me is that you can’t rush it. Things take time to adjust, and other people and processes need time to catch up. Most importantly, I need time to adjust. And yet, my mind would like it to be sometime in the future when everything feels settled and the new routines have become familiar.
Feeling unsettled is hard and most of the time actually making a plan happen takes a lot longer than conceiving of it in the first place. Although I can comprehend that things simply take time to change, and that I need time to adjust and process everything I still find it frustrating at times.
Digital difficulties
The other part of transitions that I find difficult is in how many different places information needs to be updated. From social media sites to email footers, to life admin and address books, it feels like a mammoth task to even change my email address. That is one aspect of changing roles that I really don’t enjoy as it’s simply tedious to go through and unsubscribe, update or delete everything.
I am going to check back in on this in a few months, partly to report back on progress, and also to get a feel for how my perspective is shifting as the transition continues.
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Well… it’s been quite a week, quite a conference and quite an end to my time as CEO of ALT. I’d previously blogged my love letter to ALT’s Annual Conference, and also my goodbye and thanks as CEO of ALT. I felt well prepared going into the conference week, but as it turned out, it was a lot more emotional and a lot more intense. So in this post I want to bring together at least some of the memories and moments that made it special for me, to help process what has been a wonderful if overwhelming time for me, and to capture the amazing and kind feedback and messages I received.
Conference opening (Image by Anne-Marie Scott)
It was a week packed with inspiration and joy, and I won’t be able to mention everything that’s happened, but suffice to say that this was a week to remember for our community, with a lot of firsts and a lot of milestones achieved!
Messages from Members
Thank you to everyone who sent me a message before and during the conference. It’s been incredible for me to have so much feedback, kind words and encouragement. I especially appreciate the cards that arrived by post which made for a nice surprise! It was so wonderful to see many former Trustees and staff at the conference and this picture with my predecessor Seb Schmoller really made me giggle – it’s definitely heartfelt 🙂
In addition to the messages on social media including Twitter and LinkedIn, many Members have added to this public card:
ALT AGM and CEO handover 2023
Handover at the AGM
The Board of Trustees of ALT and especially our Chair, Helen O’Sullivan, were both generous and kind in allowing me the exit I desired. I am mindful that not many people get to choose how to depart from a job, even a long-term role, and I appreciated it very much. It was a very emotional moment to sit at the AGM and listen to Helen read out feedback from the Trustees and Members, and a big highlight for me. I also received beautiful gifts, including this lovely set of CEO pens:
I am very fortunate that ALT’s new CEO Billy Smith is so gracious as a leader, and his support during these final days of handover has been instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition.
If you’d like to watch the actual handover, here is the recording.
Special Award
I was very touched to received a special award for my Outstanding Contribution to ALT at the Gala Dinner. The award was presented by my long-time colleague and friend, Jane Frankel, who has so capably managed ALT’s finances over much of my time as CEO. Jane’s words on stage and her heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the whole staff team mean a lot to me.
Award moment (Image by Anshul Lau)Receiving my award (Image by Martin Hawksey)Thanking everyone (Image by Fiona Jones)Gala Dinner in best company (Image by Martin Weller): Left to right:David Hawkridge, Maren Deepwell, Martin Hawksey, Martin Weller, Scott Farrow, Steven Verjans, Jane Secker and Christ Morrison
The next morning dawned and with it the end of a very special week, a very special moment in my career: Thank you so much for making my last day so special. I am very touched.
Wow! I woke up to this on my bedside table… Thank you so much for making my last day so special. I’m very touched. pic.twitter.com/8hL9cW0skH
I’m really excited to have Season 3 of the Leading Virtual Teams Podcast finally underway. It’s a new season in every sense… and that is why I am kicking off with ‘new pencil case’ moments in episode 1:
This episode celebrates the start of September, and the new season or start of term for many of us. I have recently tried out a new gratitude journal share ideas for how to find bright spots in a busy time of year. I also give you a preview of what’s in store for season 3 and the upcoming run of the Leading Virtual Teams course in October.
Today the second episode of this season gets released and this one is all about coaching.
The questions I get asked most often by new clients or those considering giving coaching a go, are… ‘What is a coaching session like?’, ‘What should I expect from the first session?’, ‘How should I prepare?’ and also ‘How can I make the most of it?’.
In this episode, I bring together answers and examples to give you a sense of coaching with me, to explain what’s involved and what to expect.
Listen to the podcast
Each episode includes tools, resources and strategies for different aspects of hybrid working, and links to blog posts and further reading. On this page, you can find links to the all episodes and further resources in the show notes.
The podcast is available on different podcast platforms and I hope you enjoy the show. As always, share your ideas and feedback in the comments, or on social media. If you have a specific questions or comment, contact me . I look forward to hearing from you.
As I write this, I am preparing to step down as CEO of ALT. The handover to ALT’s new CEO, Billy Smith, will formally conclude at the AGM during our Annual Conference on 6th September, and I hope to see many Members on the day in Warwick, and also online. Guests are most welcome, and if you’d like to watch the AGM, you can register now.
I am very grateful to have had a month of handover to Billy, and I am glad indeed to leave ALT in such good hands! Follow Billy on social media and find out more about the transition on Billy’s blog!
We are expecting the biggest in person audience for the conference in this post-pandemic era, and I am mindful that with so much happening at the event I won’t be able to connect with everyone who has been part of my journey since I first joined ALT in 2008.
This blog post, my last as CEO, is my goodbye and my thanks to you all for what has been an incredible chapter.
Vision became reality
When I applied for the role in 2012, I had big dreams of what we could achieved as an Association, and looking at our Impact Report I am so very proud of all we do, punching far above our weight as a small charity. It’s been a privilege, a hugely inspiring privilege, to serve our Members and work with our community from across sectors here in the UK and internationally.
My vision in 2012 focused on our work in Learning Technology, championing professional recognition, promoting research and sharing practice. I always saw ALT as being at the forefront of what a professional body can be (in what is often quite a conservative field) and we continue on that journey as we evolve as an Association.
What wasn’t on my roadmap, following the financial crisis in 2008/9, was ALT becoming an employer and closing its offices, the UK leaving Europe through Brexit or indeed the global Coronavirus pandemic and its wide sweeping and continued impact.
To say that my time as CEO has not been boring would be an understatement. I worked closely with our Board, staff team and membership to navigate these challenges. As a result of all our efforts, our organisation has thrived as a virtual team and employer in its own right; continued to work closely with international partners in Europe and further afield, and found a way back from the hardships of the pandemic to financial and operational stability.
We are not only still standing, we are celebrating 30 years of ALT this year. Indeed, our mission as the leading professional body for Learning Technology has never been more critical. The history of our discipline, to which we have contributed since 1993, continues to be fundamental to the ethical, equitable and fair use of technology in learning, teaching and assessment.
Maren & Margaret in conversation, November 2016 (photo by Sarah Caroline Photography) Josie Fraser receives her Honorary Life Membership of ALT (with Martin Weller and myself)Celebrating the Learning Technologist of the Year Awards 2017Newly minted CMALT Holders at the University of EdinburghPhoto of Lisa Taner, Lucy-Crompton-Reid & Maren Deepwell at a Virtually Connection session at OER17 taken by Martin WellerPhoto credit : Chris Bull CC-BY-NC-SA ALT
My very long list of thank you’s
One of the greatest joys of my time at ALT has been collaboration. I have had opportunities to work with inspiring and fun communities, groups and individuals across all sectors of education, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Along the way, I have learnt a huge amount, and discovered news ways of working in the open and online.
There are far too many names to mention, so I’d like to say one big thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way, shared inspiration, support and practical help. I have received so much care and kindness, so many nods of encouragement and hugs, that I count myself lucky indeed.
To each and every one – thank you. You know who you are.
Special thanks to all Trustees I have been fortunate enough to work with during my tenure and in particular the current Board whose insightfulness and commitment to ALT always inspire me.
To our staff team, there are no words that can adequately cover my sentiments. Hugs all round will have to do.
Looking forward to new adventures!
It’s been fantastic to work for the Association and I will certainly continue to be active in ALT in future. I am very much looking forward to continuing my role as Strategic Lead for the amazing AmplifyFE project, as part of the partnership between ALT and Ufi VocTech Trust.
Once my handover is complete after the conference, I am looking forward to taking a few weeks off for a well deserved holiday before getting back to my desk. Come October, the next chapter of my working life will commence in earnest. I’ll be focusing full-time on my work as a consultant and coach for education and non-profit organisations. I’ll be working with lots of different people and projects, supporting emerging leaders and helping institutions find ways to make hybrid and blended ways of working really deliver for staff, and for students preparing to enter the workplace.
If you’d like to keep in touch, subscribe to my podcast and monthly newsletter . I’ll be posting regular updates and resources on my blog, on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you’d like to explore coaching with me or discuss a project, get in touch with maren[@]marendeepwell.com or via my website.
This academic year I am looking forward to working with many new clients, most of whom are new to coaching. The questions I get asked most often by new clients or those considering giving coaching a go, are… ‘What is a coaching session like?’, ‘What should I expect from the first session?’, ‘How should I prepare?’ and also ‘How can I make the most of it?’.
In this post, I have brought together answers and examples to give you a sense of coaching with me, to explain what’s involved and what to expect. This way, you can hopefully find at least a starting point and we can discuss other questions you have when we meet.
When is coaching a good fit?
The question most of my new clients ask to begin with, is whether coaching is right for them. Most often, we discuss this in our initial conversation, which gives them a chance to meet me, discuss what brings them to coaching and what they are hoping to achieve as well as how I can help. Coaching can bring many benefits, and it’s a really powerful tool for self discovery, productivity, professional development and much more, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone or every situation.
Coaching might be a good fit if you are:
Looking for a safe or creative space to focus on an important decision or period of change;
Feeling stuck and struggle with productivity or specific tasks;
Ready to plan for the next stage in your career or further ahead to the next 5 years;
Looking for someone to think (or draw) with to find solutions to problems.
Coaching offers a range of tools, resources and strategies in a creative, safe space that is focused on your needs. With a background in art and design, I build creativity into all aspects of my coaching practice. We might use sketch notes, visual conversations and other creative approaches as part of coaching sessions, and to help tackle any problems you bring to the session.
What to expect
If you are new to coaching, you might well ask how coaching is different from mentoring, therapy or hiring a consultant. Coaching certainly has aspects in common with all three, but is also distinct from them as a professional practice. In contrast to mentoring, which usually includes passing on context-specific know-how or experience, I coach clients from a range of disciplines or backgrounds. For example, I might coach a mid-career science researcher who is stepping up into a senior role even though I don’t have a background in science.
Similarly, coaching has commonalities with therapy in that it entails you getting know yourself better and engage in reflection. However, distinct from therapy, coaching is usually focused on the present or future plans, instead of looking back to understand how, for instance, childhood experiences have shaped you.
Coaching, particularly for groups and teams, can also be similar to having an expert act as an external consultant, advising your team, and indeed this is something I also do. However, as a coach, I work with teams and organisations to help them find solutions and ways forward, rather than presenting solutions to my clients.
My coaching approach is specifically designed for professionals working in the third sector, education and learning technology, with a focus on leadership and career development, as well as managing change and creative problem solving. I offer support tailored to you, creating a flexible and memorable coaching engagement that enables you to develop into the kind of leader you want to be in your community, team, project or organisation.
How to prepare
Choose a quiet and private space for your coaching session, and make sure you are comfortable and able to focus on the conversation. I usually use Zoom to facilitate our online coaching sessions, and I also offer to meet in person for a coaching day.
During a typical coaching session, we will be setting an agenda together, defining what the session will focus on and session objectives. We will use powerful questions to reflect and explore the topic, and I might recommend specific activities and resources to help you work towards your aim such as planning tools, milestones maps and tools to help you identify your values. I’ll make sure we regularly check in on session objectives and ensure you leave each session ready to take next steps.
Sometimes a video call is not the best environment to get us thinking, so for established clients I offer coaching sessions whilst we walk. Usually, this would be coaching via a phone call, but if you are based locally, we could also meet in person. Walking coaching sessions are particularly suited to think together about difficult situations or to reflect on a particular problem or idea.
Why I love coaching
I had wonderful mentors and coaches on my journey to becoming a CEO and in the 11 years in an executive leadership role in the non-profit sector. Coaching helped me through difficult periods of transition and supported me in taking difficult decisions under pressure. My own experience has helped me appreciate just how powerful coaching can be and how valuable it is for developing all aspects of your professional practice and values as an emerging leader or an established one.
What’s most rewarding for me about coaching is working with clients who are facing great challenges. I really enjoy working together to reflect, set new goals and find out what the next step might be. I am always curious to hear about where you want to go next and help you get there no matter whether that’s getting out of bed tomorrow morning or a new job.
One tool I have been trying out with clients is writing a personal mission or vision statement (in one sentence), which is harder than it sounds. I tried it out for myself, and it prompted interesting reflections for me. If you’d like to have a go yourself, start with your goal and values and try to express these in one sentence. Let me know how you get on 🙂
What qualifies me to be a coach?
I bring a lot of professional and leadership experience to coaching, and as a coach I adhere to the ethical and professional standards of the the International Coaching Federation (ICF). The ICF defines coaching as ‘partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership’. With close to 100 hours of ICF standard coaching experience and having completed all mandatory training I am in the process of becoming an ICF Associate Certified Coach.
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