Maren Deepwell

Author: Maren Deepwell

  • Coaching with me… unpacked

    If you are curious to learn more about coaching with me and why I work as a coach and what motivates me, this post is for you.

    Why do I work as a coach?

    I have had excellent coaching on my journey to becoming a CEO and in the decade since. Coaching has helped me through difficult periods of transition and to make big decisions under pressure. My personal experience has given me an understanding of how powerful coaching can be and how valuable it is for developing all aspects of my professional practice and values. 

    How does this fit with being a CEO?

    Being a CEO and leading the Association for Learning Technology is a very rewarding role, which takes up a lot of my focus day to day. Over time, I have learnt that I am more effective in my role if it’s not my only priority. I like to keep learning and keep some hands on practice alongside my executive role. So for most of the past ten years, I have worked as on a free-lance basis alongside my role as a CEO, devoting a day a week to other projects, including writing my book on managing virtual teams.

    I do some coaching with organisations and teams as part of my work for ALT, specifically supporting digital transformation and strategic development. Training to become a certified coach has given me the opportunity to offer some 1-to-1 coaching alongside my day job.

    Who do I work with?

    My approach is specifically designed for professionals working in education and learning technology, with a focus on leadership and career development, managing change and creative problem solving.

    I coach early and mid career professionals who are looking to develop in their career as well as established managers seeking to move into an executive position. I am focused on helping clients develop value-led, ethical and open leadership practice.

    Is this the right fit for you?

    Coaching can bring many benefits, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone or every situation. Coaching might be a good fit if you are:

    • Looking for 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.
    • Looking for something to think (or draw) with to solve problems.

    Coaching offers a range of tools, resources and strategies in a creative, safe space that is focused on your needs.

    Creativity built in

    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 is a coaching session like?

    I offer 1-to-1 coaching for individuals, usually for six online sessions. Coaching sessions are 60 minutes long and include:

    • Setting an agenda together, defining what the session will focus on and session objectives
    • Using powerful questions, activities and resources
    • Checking in on session objectives and making a plan for next steps

    2022: Discounted and Pro Bono coaching offer

    I currently offer discounts for paying clients as part of completing my coach training.

    1-to-1 Coaching: each six sessions £210 (normal price £420)

    • Exploratory conversation
    • Coaching plan
    • Six 1-hour coaching sessions (online)
    • Coaching resources

    If you are interested in coaching, get in touch to arrange a 30 min exploratory conversation.

    For professionals who are not supported by their employer and for whom cost is a barrier to coaching, I also offer pro bono coaching sessions. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact me.

  • How to make working from home 1% more comfortable

    On this month’s remote working radio show on DS106radio we talked about how to make working from home 1% more comfortable… and improve your work wellbeing in the process.

    The idea comes from practices like yoga and meditation. As you lie down in order to relax or sit still to focus, your teacher may prompt you to move, wriggle, to use a pillow or a cushion, anything to try and make yourself a little bit more comfortable.

    Most of the time, pausing to consider what you can do to make yourself more comfortable in itself is the most valuable part of that process and can really help you gain more awareness of what’s going on in your physical self.

    So, it’s worth asking yourself that very question, in particular when it comes to working from home.

    The past two years have been tough, so anything and everything you can do to make things even a little easier is welcome.

    Where to start

    If you haven’t done so in a while and especially if you have recently moved things around, checking in on your work set up from a basic health & safety perspective and reviewing display screen equipment guidance is a good first step.

    Many of us become blind to constant factors that make working uncomfortable, like glare, noise, a bad chair and so forth. Try and look at your set up with fresh eyes.

    If someone else had to use it for a week, what do you think they might like or find difficult?

    25 obvious, but effective, ways to improve your working environment

    There are a lot of things you can try, and what will make a difference to you depends on the way you work and your personal preferences. Here is a list of 25 things to get you started:

    1. a plant
    2. a nice coaster
    3. a new mouse mat
    4. wrist rest/mouse rest
    5. glare protector
    6. photos/pictures/art
    7. lights for different times of day, i.e. a work lamp, fairy lights, a candle
    8. scented candle
    9. diffuser for aromatherapy oils
    10. foot rest (cushion or yoga bolster can work, too)
    11. cushioned slippers or shoes (particularly handy for standing desks)
    12. find a window sill or high shelf you can use as a place to have meetings with your laptop
    13. headphones that suit your ears
    14. a mouse you like (mine glows in rainbow colours)
    15. a selfie or ring light
    16. eye mist
    17. an alarm or similar that reminds you to take regular screen breaks
    18. a water bottle
    19. new flavour hot (or cold) drinks to try such as new herbal teas or coffees
    20. a secret snack stash (healthy or not)
    21. music
    22. a mat for your chair/you to stand on
    23. a rock or shell from somewhere you like
    24. cleaning products for your workspace, i.e. eco wipes, disinfectant, screen cleaner
    25. A place for a pet to be… if you can persuade them

    Moving beyond 1%…

    Support from your employer with purchasing office equipment for home working (or if you are self-employed here in the UK, you can apply for support with office equipment costs from the Department for Work) should help with making bigger changes, such as buying an adjustable desk, a suitable chair and other equipment.

    And there are other ways to improve your home working environment, especially when things are stressful. One example are resources you can dip into during short breaks or a subscription to an app like Calm which offers work-focused support.

    Over the past two years many of us have started to value support for managing stress and finding balance more and more. Asking yourself how you could be 1% more comfortable may lead to answers that are less tangible and more about mental wellbeing.

    What are you going to try to make your day tomorrow 1% more comfortable?

  • Coaching: Getting started

    Coaching: Getting started

    This week I am officially started my coaching certificate and I am looking forward to getting involved in the course. In order to become an accredited coach, an ICF Associate Certified Coach, I am taking part in Katie Linder’s Higher Ed Coach Training.

    After two years of very little formal CPD that didn’t have to do with charity crisis management, I am delighted to have this opportunity to learn and develop in an area of my leadership practice that I have long been passionate about: mentoring and coaching.

    A few years ago I co-authorised a series of blog posts on mentoring with my amazing former mentor Margaret Bennett, and since I have continued to develop in this area. How I feel it’s time to formalise my skills and gain more insight into coaching.

    My focus

    There are two areas I am particularly interested in: leadership and executive coaching, which is growing in particular in Higher Education, and organisational development coaching, which is focused on helping organisations with cultural change and strategic transformation.

    In my role as CEO I frequently advise and work with organisations who are seeking to develop their use of educational technology, develop and recognise staff in this area and to create a vision for their digital futures. Enhancing my skills to coach individuals and organisations through these times will add an important new skillset to the experience and expertise I have gained over the past ten years.

    Continuing to develop in an executive role

    This year is my tenth year as CEO and over the past ten years I have learnt a lot in my role. The past two years in particular have been challenging for everyone and leading my organisation through these troubled times has pushed me to develop new strategies and approaches fit for times of crisis.

    I think this year is a good moment to shift the momentum and to start to actively plan for and respond to what I see on the horizon instead of reacting to what is happening in the moment.

    Supporting women into leadership roles

    Over the past few years I have actively supported other women who are looking to advance in their careers and develop their professional practice. As part of my coaching practice I will continue to offer support women moving into management and leadership roles.

    One of the aspects of my coaching practice I will be developing this year is to offer individual and group coaching sessions, and I will be sharing further details of this later in the year.

    Professional recognition

    It’s important to recognise professional skills and expertise, and a big part of why I am spending my free time each week taking part in the course is to learn about and gain a new professional accreditation and also include it in my CMALT portfolio. I want to learn about the ethical standards and formal tools of the coaching profession alongside gaining practical knowledge about supporting the individual and organisations I work with.

  • Updating my Senior CMALT: part 1

    It’s been three years since I first gained Senior CMALT Accreditation and I have found it extremely valuable to have this accreditation. I continue to undertake CMALT peer assessments and find this, too, an important way for me to continue my professional development.

    My Senior CMALT Badge

    Updating my portfolio

    ALT requires portfolios to be reviewed and updated every three years in order to maintain Senior Certified Member status and I am afraid my three years were up in late 2021. I applied for an extension (last year was manic for many reasons), and now I need to get underway with my review process.

    I have had a look at the guidance first (I haven’t actually ever updated my portfolio before) and here is what I need to do:

    First I am going to have a look at my original Senior CMALT portfolio. Then, I need to add the following sections:

    • Summary of recent work/practice (500 words)
    • Overview of CPD activities over the past 3 years, with 3 examples discussed and reflected on in greater depth
    • Updated future plans (300 words)
    • Updated Confirmation and date

    I am not sure what I am going to use as examples of CPD activities over the past three years yet, but I am going to get started on updating the other sections.

    Sign-posting updates

    My portfolio is a Google doc and a number of related files, all shared by a folder. For the three year review I am going to make a copy of my original document, re-name it and update that.

    To make it easier to assess, I am going to highlight the updated sections.

    I am going to start this week with the update process, and aiming to get everything ready within the next month.

  • Virtual Teams Book – Monthly News, January 2022

    Virtual Teams Book – Monthly News, January 2022

    Writing Retreat ahead

    At the end of last year I completed the first draft of the book and I am really pleased that despite everything that was going on last year, I managed to reach that important milestone. Along the way I made some changes to the structure of the book and now that the draft is complete, I can also see overarching themes emerging.

    My plan was to continue editing the draft chapters over the holidays, but when I finally reached the end of the working year and having had my booster jab, I decided to take a complete break instead. It was much needed and I am glad to have had some proper time off.

    My plan is to still fit in some editing this month before heading on a week long writing retreat at the end of January.

    Talks and events

    This month I am speaking at fewer events as many of the planned conferences have been moved to later in the year. In many ways this is a blessing as it gives me more time to focus on writing. At the end of December I looked back at the talks and articles I published in 2021 – and that were more than I expected.

    One key focus for 2022 is going to be continuing work on the Framework for Ethical Learning Technology and I am looking forward to taking part in the THE Digital Universities Week and Ahead by Bett to share process and new developments.

    Join our monthly radio meet up on DS106radio talking about the journey from learning online to working in distributed teams on Tuesday, 11th January 2022 at 19:30 GMT on DS106 Radio – chat with me or submit song requests #DS106radio.

    Coaching update

    I have had excellent coaching on my journey to becoming a CEO. My own experience has given me an understanding of how powerful the right coach can be and how valuable for developing your approach to being a leader.

    In order to become an accredited coach, an ICF Associate Certified Coach, I am taking part in Katie Linder’s Higher Ed Coach Training. I’ll be blogging every month sharing my experiences and how this relates to leading virtual teams.

    Writing buddy update

    Posey celebrated her 1st birthday this month, so she gets featured 🙂

  • 2021: Last one out turns off the lights…

    It’s the darkest day of the year, Winter Solstice, and for me the last working day of 2021. Yay! For the last blog post of the year here is a look back at what has been a busy year. Whilst it may not feel that way just now as we prepare for another uncertain festive season, this year has had a lot of highlights and much, MUCH, has been accomplished.

    My year as CEO of ALT

    A photo of Maren at her laptop

    Twelve months ago, I had a mountain to climb as a CEO. ALT had never been busier than in the year of the great online pivot, but the pandemic had a huge impact on our operations and ability to generate income from our charitable activities. Being an independent charity has strategic upsides, but it also carries risks that a year long crisis like 2020 only heightens. Even as an experienced leader I felt worried about what had to be accomplished in 2021.

    Since then, things may not have become easier, but we have achieved what we set out to do this year: we are in a more financially stable position, our staff team is growing and we have delivered more for our growing Membership this year than ever before. If you haven’t already had a look, the 2021 Impact report celebrates some of our recent achievements accomplished as a community in the past year, and our Awards showcase highlights just some of the excellent practice going on.

    We have welcomed hundreds of  new members in 2021, and as ALT grows it becomes ever more important for us to strengthen our voice and increase our impact. If you haven’t already, please do take a moment to complete our Annual Survey.

    I really enjoyed seeing Members show some of what’s really possible in Learning Technology when we move beyond crisis provision, and our collaboration with ITN Productions helped us share our expertise with a much wider audience than before. Watch the programme and find out more. 

    A collage of nine photos of the year, including screenshots from online meetings, pictures of pizza and office plants.
    2021 in photos

    My team, our Board and all the colleagues I have worked with this year have been generous and imaginative under the continued pressure of a lot to get done and pandemic living. I am grateful that we continue to find ways to celebrate important milestones together and to reflect a little on all that is happening whilst we continue to lack opportunities to meet in person.

    From pre-conference pizza nights to KaraOERke and from care parcels sent by post to snowball fights online, we have done what we can to keep our spirits up and support each other as a team.

    I am so grateful to work in an organisation that continues to support us in a considerate way through these turbulent times and I want to express my deep thanks to Helen, our Chair, for all she has done this year to steer us through 2021. To you all, thank you!

    Talks, keynotes and writing a book

    Looking at my archive for this year, it appears that I have done more than I had realised. I have been able to contribute to some amazing ventures, attend many virtual conferences and work with inspiring leaders here in the UK and across the world.

    Here are my highlights from 2021:

    Alongside my work I have started writing a book on leading virtual teams, which is due to be published in 2022. The first draft is now complete, and you can read along with excerpts from draft chapters, come along to remote working radio sessions and sign up for regular updates.

    I have really enjoyed working on the book as it gives me the opportunity to switch gears and focus my thoughts for a while.

    My year with a puppy!

    You will probably already have met Posey as I have posted plenty of photos of her over the past nine months. She has grown from a tiny puppy into a seasoned conference dog, who has her own conference badge and all. Posey is not a huge fan of work as it means there’s less time for play and walks, but she has been a huge joy and an excellent antidote to being at work for too long. She’ll be one year old soon and no doubt the next year will bring a whole new set of adventures as we start running together.

    Two photos of a brown puppy and the same puppy a little older.
    Posey

    We’re heading to the beach

    Today may be the darkest day of the year, but it also marks a turning point. Light is making its return, if gradually.

    Everyone I know is tired and exhausted. Working in Learning Technology can feel… really hard in these times and the work never ends. We often don’t know what’s ahead. We try to support all the different stakeholders but thanks to most people’s experience of Learning Technology at scale being largely shaped by lockdown learning, there is a tension between what we hope to achieve as a profession and everyone’s desire to return to a world in which hugging and having coffee isn’t dangerous.

    I am grateful that today is my last day at work for the year. I am looking forward to logging off and not looking at another email until it’s 2022.

    Rest and replenishment is going to be my only focus and so we are heading to the beach to see the sunset.

    To you I wish a peaceful end to the year. I look forward to seeing you on the other side. Or as we say in Wales…

    Cyfarchion y Tymor

    A photo of Maren and two dogs walking along the beach on a grey day.