Archives for February 2024

Community Action Placement: Unlocking Leadership Opportunities

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In this blog post, Xavier Lake (School Leadership Award Holder, Class of 2020) reflects on the impact of the award – especially his Community Action Placement – on his leadership opportunities at Glasgow University where he is a member of the University Union Board of Management (GUU).

I embarked upon my journey with the GUU by applying as a Fresher’s Helper and following a successful interview, I was employed in the role. My time with the Rank Foundation, especially my Community Action Placement (CAP) in Hexham, heightened my awareness of making a positive impact on the society around me.

In turn, as a Fresher’s Helper I widened my own sense of being part of the university’s community as I began my work not knowing anybody but by the end, I had made friends across all year groups and faculties and worked with salaried university staff members.

I strongly believe that the CAP gave me the confidence and drive to do this and showed me I truly enjoy helping others as it gives me a great sense of reward and motivates me to find other opportunities make a difference.

The election competition began almost immediately so I had to formulate my manifesto, campaign, and persuade my friends to help me. My leadership skills were most definitely called into action. The Rank Foundation’s belief in my skills as a leader enthused me to approach other students to discuss my manifesto and have fun with it!  I was over the moon when I was successfully elected to the board.
 
Holding office within the GUU has alerted me to the need to understand and process the multi-faceted issues that arise, such as: accessible study places, financial problems, course resources, allegations of misconduct, event planning, even helping when students have a bit too much to drink! I am then duty bound to meet with senior members of the university to eloquently explain matters to them with the aim of making impact to bring about positive change and feedback their responses to the union membership.

I feel my drive to make a difference for others was deepened and became a core value for me after the CAP at the Hexham Youth Initiative, seeing the joy and happiness that young people gained form the staff’s dedication has left a lasting impression upon me to help others where I can.

I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and progress that the Rank Foundation’s School Leadership Award has furnished me with, as I know I would not be following the path I am on without the confidence and self-belief the programme gave me.

On reflection, the essential ingredient that unlocked my confidence was completing the CAP because it took me far from home, placed me among strangers and into a job I had not done before. I loved my time in Hexham and was warmly welcomed. I am proud of my CAP and dearly hope you will be too!

Embracing Growth – Rank’s 2024 Time to Shine Leader reflects on her first conference of the year

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“Hi. My name is Nhung.”

These five simple words marked the beginning of my English language journey as a little girl. Back then, when asked about my dreams for the future, uncertainty clouded my responses.

However, today, I proudly stand as a Vietnamese communications practitioner with an MA in Global Communication for Development & Social Change from Loughborough University. And in January 2024, I embarked on a new chapter as a Communications and Impact Officer and Time to Shine Leader at The Rank Foundation. My work focuses on enhancing both external and internal communications to support Rank’s ever-thriving network.

Allow me to share the story of how my 2024 unfolded.

It started on a positive note, etched in my memory by the day Sonia, my line-manager, called with a job offer just a few hours after my interview. I almost bursted into tears and couldn’t help but dial my mom’s number. A woman whose education journey halted at age 13, she’s not familiar at all with the intricacies of my academic and job-focused stories. But the pride and emotion in her voice were palpable as she heard the news.

I started the first week with the utmost warm welcome from Rank. But I confess, amidst information overload, I was nervous about uncertainties and sceptical of my own capabilities! And my line manager was the one who reassured me to take my time. By the second week, as I organised the information, and started to receive compliments from my colleagues, my confidence soared. This propelled me to attend the Time to Shine launch conference with newfound confidence.

Gathering in London for a 2-day residential conference at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine’s, East London, I encountered the concept of a “residential conference” for the first time. Icebreaker activities, organised by the Rank team, set a lively tone. We played mini games, shared organisational insights, and built connections. The positive experience continued over dinner.

The second day was pivotal, starting with Jen Mackay’s session on Leading with a Growth Mindset. Exploring fixed and growth mindsets, we delved into how they shape our learning, skill development, and goal achievement.

The session instilled in me the belief that our mindset influences our potential to be leaders in all aspects of life. Before the conference, I often believed I was insignificant, unqualified, and my contribution didn’t matter that much. But this time, I’ve learned that “whether you think you can or can’t, you’re probably right.” (Henry Ford).

A mini game reinforced these lessons, and our team collaborated creatively to perform the Happy Birthday song in Croatian!

Meeting our line-managers over lunch, we transitioned to Action Learning Set (ALS) groups, guided by our experienced facilitator, Chris. I delved firsthand into what ALS entails and how it works.

With objectives for the year mapped out, the ALS promises a year of growth and collaboration, and I’m eager to work with Chris and my ALS team all over the next 12 months.

We concluded the conference with Four Seasons Work Preference Profiling by Steve O’Smotherly, providing insights into individual work preferences and fostering a deeper understanding among team members. We collaborated with people sharing seasonal preferences and our line-managers to optimise the Time to Shine experience in the workplace. It’s interesting to know that the Four Seasons Work Preference is not designed to measure our ability and/or effectiveness in the workplace, so there’s no right or wrong!

Embarking on my Time to Shine journey, I am reminded that success transcends backgrounds and education levels. If I reflect on myself a year ago, with a fixed mindset, envisioning a little Vietnamese girl with an average English level from a mountainous area in Northern Vietnam, being the first in my family to pursue high school and beyond—how could I dare to imagine I could come this far? Yet, I’ve learned that persistence and hard work lead to success, acknowledging there’s still much to learn.

A dream job that leverages communication strategies for tangible and positive impact has become a reality. As a Time to Shine Leader, I anticipate encountering challenges and opportunities, and I am ready to embrace them all. “I aspire to become a professional communicator for development and social change” — a response to the once tricky question.

Stay tuned for more insights and unforgettable moments throughout this inspiring journey that I will share with you throughout the year.