Now that my time on the Aurora programme is over, and some time has passed, I wanted to look back over the whole experience. I have already written about the things I learned about during the sessions, so instead I wanted to reflect on some of the things I enjoyed (and some that I didn’t) about the program.
What did I enjoy about Aurora?
The opportunity to reflect
Undertaking the Aurora programme has given me an unprecedented opportunity to work on myself, to reflect and to take initiative in my career. I still don’t find the more introspective exercises easy, but even recognising that is something I’ve learned about myself.
Writing this blog has also allowed me to ponder some of the lessons I learned and build a deeper understanding. Reflection and evaluation often something that gets neglected when we are pressed for time, so seeing how useful it has been has made me more determined to include this in my work.
Meeting people on a similar journey
Not everyone wants to spend time considering their practice, or their career journey so it’s valuable to find people who are at the same point as me, have the same shared Aurora shorthand, and a willingness to develop. Even after the programme, seeing and talking to others who are also interested in their career helps prompt me with ideas and keeps me enthused.
Seeing good practice demonstrated
Some examples of good practice I saw demonstrated during the Aurora programme
- Be upfront about my values, background, and interests to help connect with others. This is especially useful when starting working with new people, as it helps build trust and connection.
- Compliment and thank others – this was especially noticeable in my Action Learning Set where my groupmates all mentioned something they had observed that was positive about the person. It was nice to receive but also was lovely to see people boosted by that bit of recognition.
- Respecting others and speaking your truth – being able to listen to others and talk honestly about your experiences is vital in these divided times. Speaking up can also encourage others who might have felt alone previously.
The encouragement to be proactive
I’ve never been particularly driven in my career, and so have often felt a bit adrift. Aurora has shown that I don’t have to be overly ambitious to benefit from a more curated approach to my work. Seeing examples from other Aurorans and getting encouragement from them was really valuable. I feel more secure in my mid-level ambitions, taking small steps toward my modest personal development goals – without feeling overwhelmed.
What did I not enjoy about Aurora?
Gendered talk
There were a few times where there was mention of “masculine” vs “feminine” traits or things that men do vs women. This jarred with me somewhat. How traits are gendered socially is related to the time and society in which we exist and isn’t fixed or binary. We can use it as a shorthand for what we see in our society today, but we need to establish that they aren’t inherent. It would have been good to have had a clear message at the start of the programme that this is deeply subjective and is being used in Aurora simply as a shorthand.
Lack of acknowledgement of neurodiversity and disability
According to the conversations in the online chat, there were a lot of neurodiverse people in the cohort, but there was very little from the hosts or speakers of what that might mean in respect to leadership challenges. Aurora would definitely have benefitted from more neurodiverse or disabled speakers talking about their experiences in future.
Not enough time
I completely understand that there is a lot to get through in the Aurora programming, especially with under 5 hours in which to squeeze each session, but there were many moments where I would have loved more time to discuss and absorb the concepts that were presented to us. I felt it most keenly in the breakout rooms and certain sessions where we covered a number of theories in just a few minutes.
In summary
Despite these issues I am immensely grateful to the University of Leeds and to the team at Advance HE for for giving me the opportunity to take part in Aurora. The program has given me the chance to reflect not only on my own career, but also on the whole notion of leadership and what that means. As a result, I am more confident in my personal approach to work and career, and happier to consider myself a leader, despite not currently holding a formal leadership role.
Investing my time and focus on Aurora during the programme was so valuable, and having the opportunity to connect with Aurorans from across the University and the UK was a really affirming experience.
