Maren Deepwell

Category: books

  • A year after publication: Leading Virtual Teams

    A year after publication: Leading Virtual Teams

    A year ago my book Leading Virtual Teams was published, and I can very clearly remember all the wonderful excitement that led up to the launch, and am still grateful for all the encouragement for this Open Access publication.

    A year on, and the book, which was initially inspired by the work Martin Hawksey and I did at ALT, has turned into a whole host of resources, two free courses and a podcast which informs my wider work on hybrid working leadership development and coaching.

    A year in Leading Virtual Teams

    To celebrate the milestone, this post gives a quick overview over what’s happened in 2023 and if you are just discovering the book or my work, this is a great place to start:

    Open Access publication – December 2022

    Leading Virtual Teams – Field Notes from a CEO by Dr Maren Deepwell, was published in December 2022 as an open access publication by the Association for Learning Technology, UK. You can read and download a free digital edition, published as an Open Access publication by ALT in partnership with Open Academia.

    Digital edition – out now

    I also recorded a preview of the book on the podcast:

    Print edition via Lulu Press – January 2023

    The Open Access print edition, published by Lulu.com, came out in January and you can order it via:

    Podcast season 2 – March 2023

    I started the podcast in 2022, but in spring 2023 things really started happening. Each week, I share ideas and strategies for creative and fun approaches to help you succeed and lead in the hybrid workplace. Each episode includes tools, resources and strategies for different aspects of hybrid working, and links to blog posts and further reading.

    The podcast is available on different podcast platforms and I hope you enjoy the show. You can find it on: Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

    Free Leading Virtual Teams course launches – April 2023

    This was my first venture of translating the book into a course, and I learnt a lot along the way.

    If you’d like to explore the course, all materials are freely available:

    Week by week

    Podcast season 3 with weekly episodes – September 2023

    In September I was 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 kicked off with ‘new pencil case’ moments in episode.

    This episode celebrated 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.

    Free Hybrid Working Habits course launches – October 2023

    I have experienced a lot of ups and downs working from home, managing remote workers and collaborating virtually, and I chronicled this in my book, Leading Virtual Teams (2022). One of the things I learnt along the way is that a good work/life balance and relationship with digital technology may look a little different for everyone but that the journey how we get there is similar. That’s why I designed this course: to share practical tips that you can use to find ways to make hybrid working really work for you (or you team or organisation) in the long term.

    It’s been great to see the course attract lots of listens and interaction. Although I do encourage people to register for free, only about half of the people participating in the course do. Others prefer to simply subscribe to the podcast to listen along and explore at their own pace.

    The topics for the course resonated well with participants, especially those designed to help manage digital overwhelm and setting life/work boundaries. Plus, I really enjoyed recording these as well, which is an added bonus!

    The course resources and podcasts are now freely available and you can explore topics at your own pace. The easiest way to do that is to listen to the course podcast:

    If you’d rather see everything at a glance, the Course information page provides a handy guide to the course and links to all previous topics:

    1: Audit your hybrid working habits to find out how your current habits are impacting on you and what to change;
    2: Set boundaries for a better life/work balance and stick to them even when things are busy;
    3: Increase productivity away from the screen by using strategies for communicating and collaborating outside of meetings;
    4: Communicate more effectively in the hybrid workplace in a way that works for you and reduces digital overwhelm.

    Special guest Martin Hawksey returns to the conversation – November 2023

    In November we went back to the origins of Leading Virtual Teams! I was delighted to co-write together with Martin Hawksey, and we created this joint blog post and special podcast episode:

    Working in the open

    It’s been a wonderful year, and it’s also been a lot of hard work. Practically all my work in this area since the publication of the book has happened around the edges of my day job, and especially until the end of September that was a very full on commitment. Since focusing full time on my free-lance work I have had a little more scope to take on paid work in this space, and thus give this topic a bit more time in my day to day work.

    Every now and then I get an email or a message or someone speaks to me at a conference about something valuable they found in the book, something that helped them in their work or opened up a new perspective and it always, always makes my day.

    I have chosen not to publish the book commercially, instead going the Open Access route with the book and all the resources and courses I have published since, because I want as many people as possible to learn from the mistakes I made and the experiences I recount, and find a better way to manage blended, hybrid and virtual organisations. One downside is however that I have not much data about how many people engage with the work I do, and with an ever more fragmented social media landscape getting a feel for one’s reach is more challenging still. Which is why I value it so much when folk do share some feedback or send me a message.

    All in all, it’s been a fun and rewarding year working towards putting the book into practice and making the ideas in it available to a larger audience.

    Enjoyed this post? Get my free monthly newsletter directly to your inbox.

    [newsletter_form type=”minimal”]
  • In the library (again)

    In the library (again)

    It’s my second post about the joys of going to the library in as many months, so I won’t hold it against you if you don’t keep reading… this post. Please keep reading everything else! 

    Over the past month I have borrowed and read a lot of books from the Cardiff library system, trying out different branches of the library, close to home, nearby and in the city. 

    Using the library has been such a joy, immensely practical and an interesting, unexpected change of perspective. 

    The joy of discovery

    First and foremost, browsing for books comes with a joy of discovery that I don’t get in the same way from browsing digitally. Just like spotting an unexpected treat in the supermarket, I picked up books when I go and collect the ones I have ordered. It’s not exactly unexpected, but it’s been a while since I freely browsed and wandered through shelves of books, all available to take home. 

    Last weekend I picked up two fiction books at my local branch, a very small affair of a village library housed in a single room and enthusiastically open for one afternoon a week. That was my free time this weekend sorted! 

    I read ferociously across different genres, so now when I am stuck and unsure of what to read next, I can simply pick some books that look interesting and see how much I like them. If they’re not for me, I return them the next week. 

    Free, unlimited books 

    The fact that I don’t need to buy the books makes a huge difference to how much I read. This is especially true for work related books or books that I want to read for research are not usually volumes I want to buy or can afford. I have worked for decades outside of an institution with its own library service, so having a newly rediscovered scope for borrowing whatever sparks my curiosity has made a much greater difference than I had anticipated. Access to books, it seems, has been something I have missed. 

    I can now indulge freely in reading everything by an interesting author I’ve just discovered or a book I’ve come across on a podcast or at coach training and that is a huge bonus.  

    It has given me a new appreciation for the very real benefits access to resources such as an excellent library can offer.  An appreciation that didn’t get lost, but that moved into the background during the global pandemic, when my focus was on much more urgent issues than finding easy access to unlimited reading materials for myself. 

    Spaces of social solace

    In common with many friends and colleagues I have a long held love for libraries, and that’s probably what got me started with cemeteries (so called ‘libraries of stone’). But at this time here in the UK, walking into libraries advertising opening hours as warm spaces, stocked with hot drinks and comfortable seating for those in need, is a new experience for me. I have taken part in all sorts of initiatives in libraries in the past, to help teach digital skills, provide online access, to teach literacy, citizenship and access to local services. I’ve been to fitness classes in libraries, to therapy sessions, I have worked in libraries. I wrote my thesis in one. I applied for the right to remain in the UK post Brexit in a library. Now, folk are heading to libraries to keep warm. My hope is that alongside the precious warmth, they find social connection or solace in the imagination of others through the magic of reading. 

  • In the library

    In the library

    I read a lot and going to my local library has been a big part of my life as a child, throughout my school and student years. I was lucky to have access to wonderful libraries first in London and later in Oxford, where I sat in the Radcliffe Camera as I finished writing my PhD.

    When I first moved to Cardiff in March 2020 however, libraries closed and it took me a long time to actually join the library. Now, finally, I have been to visit to central library in person, and collected my physical library card. I can pick up and return books in the local branch, which is closer to where I live, but it was fun to go and visit the big library.

    It felt great to return to a space filled with books, and take time to browse the shelves. I picked up a small volume full of ideas of what to do during your lunch break, which I am keen to explore for a bit of fun.

    I also borrowed a book by Laura Vanderkam: Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters, which was published on October 11, 2022 . I have come across some of Laura’s work on time management and productivity before, but this book is a completely new find for me. Hopefully it will have some useful ideas in it for my own work and to share with coaching clients.

    I’ll be sure to share what I find in a future blog post.

  • Out now! Leading Virtual Teams

    Out now! Leading Virtual Teams

    Today is an exciting day for me, as my book goes out into the world. It’s my first experience of this kind of publication, and feels quite different from anything I have published before.

    As an Open Access publication, the book is immediately and freely available to download and read online and I am really looking forward to celebrating the launch of the book this evening in conversation with ALT’s Chair, Professor Helen O’Sullivan.

    Thanks and acknowledgements

    First and foremost I would like to thank the Association for Learning Technology for the support for this venture. Special thanks go to Professor Helen O’Sullivan, Chair of the Board of Trustees, without whom this publication would not have happened, as well as the Trustees at time of writing, who reviewed the manuscript: Bella Abrams, Peter Bryant, Lorna Campbell, Elizabeth Charles, Shonagh Douglas, Sharon Flynn, Natalie Lafferty, Keith Smyth and David White. 

    Many of the examples in this book were collected between 2017-2022 in my role as CEO of the Association. I am grateful for the input from everyone I worked with, especially the core staff team, with whom I shared the transition to becoming a virtual team and the years since. The transition was a unique opportunity for me and the team as a whole to shape a new era of a long established organisation. Many of our experiences from 2018-2020 were chronicled in collaboration with Martin Hawksey. Martin has given his kind permission for this book to include many of the ideas we originally blogged about. 

    This book is subtitled Field Notes from a CEO because my years as an Anthropologist taught me how to adopt a researcher’s outlook. Although I have settled into a different mindset in my ten years as a CEO, no longer just observing, but leading, I still find myself just as curious about seeing the world from someone else’s viewpoint and doing my best to walk a few steps in their shoes. Leading a virtual team has challenged that ambition in interesting ways, and provided me with a new field for inquiry. My fondest thanks to the Material & Visual Culture staff and colleagues at the Department for Anthropology at UCL, who inspired me so much during my time there. 

    Last, but certainly not least, I would like to acknowledge all the open practitioners and researchers who have shared their insights and provided input along the way. 

    Thank you. 

    Get your copy

    You can read and download a free digital edition, published as an Open Access publication by ALT in partnership with Open Academia. The Open Access print edition, published by Lulu.com, will be available to purchase soon.

    Digital edition – out now

    Print edition – coming soon

    Leading Virtual Teams is licensed under a Creative Commons licence CC-BY-NC-ND, copyright Maren Deepwell 2022.

    Sign up for the free Leading Virtual Teams course

    If you’d like to learn more about leading virtual teams, join my free course starting in spring 2023. This course translates key parts of the book into practice:

    • Onboarding and setting expectations
    • Fostering a shared team culture
    • Managing people and processes
    • Strategies for succeeding in hybrid workplaces in the long term

    This course offers a unique blend of inspiration, practical support and resources. Join us to explore ways of working in the hybrid workplace that are aligned to your goals and values and how to lead with agency and authenticity.

    Sign up now

    Explore resources, blog posts and podcasts

    There is a wealth of resources and inspiration in the Virtual Teams blog posts, more recent blog posts and resources and podcasts .

  • Book launch: Digital Learning in Higher Education

    Today I was delighted to take part in the launch of a new book:

    Book cover image

    Digital Learning in Higher Education

    COVID-19 and Beyond

    Edited by Matt Smith, Interim Head of Primary Education,University of Wolverhampton and John Traxler, Professor of Digital Learning, Education Observatory, University of Wolverhampton, UK and UNESCO Chair

    Publication Date: June 2022 ISBN: 978 1 80037 939 8 Extent: 176 pp

    Mapping the uncertain landscape of education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Digital Learning in Higher Education examines how Higher Education (HE) institutions have moved to widespread digital learning in an effort to maintain the educational experience. The book navigates the possibilities that lie ahead, using reflections from HE practitioners and other academic professionals to explore the beginnings of a new and brighter future for HE.

    My contribution

    I worked with Rachel Crookes and Matt Smith to co-author the chapter on Further non-teaching perspectives on aspects of the higher education sector impacted by COVID-19, based in findings from the ALT Annual Survey:

    “ALT’s Annual Survey has run each year since 2014, with a number of the core questions remaining unchanged. We think it provides a unique insight into how learning technology is used across sectors as well as identifying emerging trends in current and future practice. Explore key findings from this year’s survey:

    Trends in Learning Technology 

    This report focuses on how the Learning Technology landscape is changing through a focus on tools and technologies and also professional practice. Our findings provide insight into how blended and hybrid models are becoming the main mode of learning, for 66% of our Members and that student engagement continues to be the number one drive behind the adoption of learning technology.

    How our profession is changing

    This report explores one of the key questions we ask in the survey: how are institutions investing in Technology-Enhanced Learning? We continue to see an increase in investment of over 30% overall, although smaller than the previous year, when 45% of Members reported an increase in their budgets. From 2020 to 2021, investment in permanent posts has increased from 32% to 54%, and for fixed term posts from 34% to 50%, emphasizing the continued and growing demands for Learning Technology professionals in the long term.”

     

  • Not counting books

    Not counting books

    For many people who inspire me, counting what they read is a thing on a personal or professional basis. Just like the ‘read 100 books in a year’ challenge, many of my friends and colleagues track, share, catalogue and analyse what they read. And I enjoy their reflections. I often find inspiration in what others read, and I have bought many books on the recommendation of a friend who loved it.

    I enjoy it when others share their reading habits, but I don’t track what I read and I’ve been wondering why. Here are my thoughts:

    Like sleep, I don’t desire to track what I read. I don’t feel that there is anything I need to know that I don’t already know without quantifying what I read.

    Since I started being able to track steps, I feel like untracked steps aren’t real. Given that I leave my phone at home a lot, my digital step count does not reflect reality at all, and thus all the ways in which my devices could be ‘helpful’ or ‘insightful’ doesn’t really work. I find it mildly annoying, but not enough to start tacking a device everywhere I go. I really don’t want reading to follow that pattern.

    I read a lot, and counting how much wouldn’t act as encouragement to read more.

    Across different media (print, audio and digital) and several different platforms I would need to track my reading manually, which seems tedious. I am sure there is an app that can help… but then I would have to keep that up to date.

    Sharing headlines like ‘this week I’ve read six trashy romance novels!’ or ‘my bedside table is drowning in sci-fi’ would be of no interest to others.

    I love books, I love reading, I always have. I always read for enjoyment first and foremost no matter what the subject matter. Somehow tracking it would make it feel like work to me. Like I need to have goals, or consider whether what I read reflects all the things I should care about. I would probably start to self-censor.

    One of the greatest pleasures in my life is getting lost in a story for hours or even days at a time. Sometimes I walk around reading, because I can’t put the book down. Those times are precious to me and personal. I am not sure what I would want to share that would be meaningful to anyone else.

    Enjoy your reading (and please keep sharing your recommendations so that I can read more).