Moving into the Matrix | AUA Quick reads

Adrian Lee | Quality Support Officer | University of York

Over the last two years my team and I have been introduced to a new organisational structure and ways of working. Through trial and error we found good ways to collaborate and I’m really looking forward to bringing my experiences to the conference, as it gives me the opportunity to reflect on how I have behaved and felt in my role during this time, particularly in relation to assisting academics proposing new degree programmes. Explaining my situation and facilitating a discussion with delegates will also give me new ideas and hopefully help others see the opportunities in change, including the potential to make rewarding new connections across teams to fulfil our individual and collective responsibilities. I’ve seen scepticism and some resistance to working differently, in unfamiliar ways with unfamiliar colleagues, and if I’m honest I’ve shared some of these feelings to some degree. I’ve found though that being conscious of these feelings, having an open mind and a willingness to talk to colleagues, to find out what they bring to the party and where two minds will be better than one for our ‘customers’, means we can offer a better service. What I hope to offer delegates is not the way to do it, but an example of how I’ve tried to do it, to stimulate discussion about other ways of collaborative working and in different areas within the diversity of HE professional services. I think there is the real potential to have a stimulating dialogue and I’m also looking forward to the experience of facilitating my first AUA Conference session to refresh my own presentation and ‘training’ skills.

403: Moving into the Matrix is a working session at the AUA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2020. In these mini blogs, our session speakers talk about the journey that lead to this point. Read the full Conference programme here.