Where do you work and what is your role?
I work at Imperial College London and my role is to support the learning and development of staff members, managers, team leaders, and supervisors.
I’m responsible for all learning and development activity for around 2500 managers from induction to skills development, leadership and management, wellbeing and coaching. Additionally, I also chair an international academic network UPSIGN network.
When did you join the SDF?
I joined SDF in 2021 shortly after joining Imperial.
Why did you want to join the SDF?
I was signposted to join SDF as a brilliant platform to connect with like minded colleagues, and to hear all things OD and L&D!
What’s the best thing about the SDF?
I love the fact that if I need recommendations or insights about a topics, I can just write an email to the group, and within minutes, I’ll receive a response. This goes on to demonstrate the collective expertise and knowledge that we all share as OD professionals.
What are you working on at the moment?
My current project, which I am very excited about, is the a People Management Framework, which is a university wide programme for people managers to help them develop their skills and confidence as managers so that they can build high performing teams, resolve conflict, demonstrate interest and care, foster psychologically safe work places, and also, know when and where to get help if they feel the need to. Managers are not isolated in their roles, there is a lot of support available for them.
What does a typical day look like?
No day is the same in the world of OD! One minute, I’m helping a colleague preparing to have a difficult conversation with their team. The next minute, I’m advising another colleague on how cultures can take a long time to develop and a ‘short training’ is not a magic bullet to turn around magic results. Within hours, my focus shifts to strategic projects that have a university wide impact such as annual appraisal processes. No day is complete without meetings and trust me we have plenty of those!
In the ins and outs of a typical day, I do enjoy popping in to say hello to my colleagues, chatting to them about every day things, and having a laugh with them. I genuinely believe that investing time in getting to know people on a more personal level is a super power!
Work life balance – what leisure activity do you enjoy the most?
I am into nature, long walks, admiring the beauty and grace of trees. It brings a sense of tranquility and calmness to me.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
My father and my uncle.
What’s your favourite/least favourite food?
Give me fresh fruit and veg any day any time! I also enjoy an almond criossant for my breakfast.
What would improve the quality of your life?
More sleep, and more time to exercise.
What’s coming next for you?
I am just beginning to set up the support for Advance HE fellowships for professional services staff members. It is a fantastic opportunity and I’m very excited to bring it to life for our ace professional services community who work so hard behind the scenes yet often get fewer opportunities for professional development.