Laptop as leader! The portability of laptops reflect the way lots of people work in the voluntary sector - they don't always have a fixed office space, they work at various locations in the community, and/or work is done outside of typical working hours. Plus, the nature of the industry means that time is pressed and leaders won't always be able to meet physically to discuss direction or resolve issues, so emails and messaging are relied on. In fact, in organisation constitutions, it's an acceptable to write in that trustee decisions can be may by agreement over email, not just through the raising of a hand in a meeting room. I find that I maintain professional relationships with people through email quite a lot. Of course, the drawback is, you can't beat the energy of a face-to-face meeting, but getting the balance between f2f and emailing can be very productive. When I was first self-employed in the charity sector, I remember spending a lot of time in cafes on my laptop making professional arrangements.

We have two spaces available to us for staff meetings; the Meeting Room and the Flexible Space. The names are pretty apt and as you can imagine one of these spaces feels much more restrictive and formal than the others.

Meeting Room. One glass table with 4-6 chairs arranged around it, situated in a small and stuffy room with a glass wall facing out (so people can see in) but no natural light.
We have our weekly staff meetings in this room and I often enter feeling enthusiastic and keen to share projects and ask for feedback. There are usually four of us in the meetings and we take it in turns to go around the table to update each other on projects. We sit with laptops in front of us and one person takes 'minutes' whilst others are distracted by what's on screen - sometimes even replying to unrelated emails whilst others are reporting. By the time it comes to 'my turn to speak' I have lost interest and feel that no one is listening so I make my report as brief as possible knowing that feedback is unlikely. It is a very disheartening experience and one that none of us look forward to.

Flexible space. This is used for more dynamic meetings that requires input from all staff. It has a couple of sofas, easy chairs, a small knee-hight coffee table and is informal. We tend to use paper, pens and post-its for in these gatherings.
I recently had to put together a Digital Engagement Strategy and I needed all staff to be present and involved. I suggested we didn't use laptops and made sure everyone had a note of the purpose of the gathering and what they would be expected to do a week in advance. People arrived armed with questions and comments, everyone was treated as an equal and each voice was heard. The gathering ended with everyone feeling valued, there was a clear action plan to take forward and there was a positive energy related to the project.

Previously my organisation only had a small room for storage and so no space for meetings. As a small charity the team only really communicated through emails and shared online spaces such as Dropbox and Podio. I think relying on these types of technologies requires a deeper level of trust between the leader and staff as they can't see the level of activity in the same way you can in a shared physical space. 

As the charity has grown it has forged links with a local business and now has access to their meeting spaces. Having access to modern formal and informal spaces has really shaped how we interact and makes the charity feel more legitimate and helps to give a professional impression particularly when interviewing for new roles. I think it helps to get people to take us seriously and really reinforces our own belief in where the charity is heading. 

We use this space to brainstorm and for weekly team meetings. We would gather there sitting on sofas and having tea while using post- in notes  and flip charts to write down our ideas. Those are the moments that I like the most in our weekly routine as we get on with some tasks very fast forward. We are able to put together an action plan within minutes and have a clear vision of next tasks. Sofas and the light coming from the window make it all work. We get inspired by the each other and at the same time we have a lot of fun together in all informal setting which is our sofa, tea corner. It is important that teams do have those moments , as I find it difficult to be confined only to my desk. We tend as well to rotate the desks among us. Another time we met actually at my home to work together. Other time, when I was working at home, I noticed that I circulate around  and work siting on the sofa, then on the stairs or in the kitchen. I do believe that changing places of work influences your way of seeing things from different perspective.

I am not sure if there is a space that dominates - we hold our leadership team meetings in two or three different rooms / places. A key element is no tables - so ideally in a circle [about a dozen people] - the space has to be uninterrupted [no sidetracks] with all team members free to contribute.

We start by sharing stories of our interactions, ideally at work, that have contributed towards our objective of empowering older people to improve their lives. Some of the team may not have much direct work with older people and they can tell / other related stories. By starting the meeting in this way it ensures we are focused on our objectives, our values - why we are really here.

The benefits are we are focused on the right things, mainly undistracted by day to day issues and telephones, emails, texts etc. The drawbacks are perhaps that the space is very functional [any room with some chairs in it] and  it isn't necessarily inspiring in its own right.

We have with ours values, printed out, - it might be that messages, pictures etc might help.

Most communication is done via emails at individual desks, or we pop out into this space in the corridor for quick catch ups, team meetings, 1:1s. The computers make a physical barrier even with people right opposite you so the small corridor space is really useful. Meetings with a larger group or for longer are held in large meeting rooms. I think it is helpful to use different rooms for different purposes. The small table makes it quick and easy to keep informed with everyone whereas booking a larger rooms makes you feel like there is a stronger purpose to the meeting. The majority of leadership therefore happens in the larger rooms that are formally booked so everyone goes prepared. 

They recently held a large meeting in a meeting room using the interactive whiteboard where appropriate but seating us around in a square to make discussion easier. They then used the meeting to announce changes and ask the group for feedback. They utilised the square to make people feel like we are all part of a group making decisions together and we all came out happy to be informed and confident in the ability of the team to take things forward. 

Every Monday morning the leadership team meets via skype to share their headaches and highlights of the previous week and plans for the coming week. The meeting is due to last an hour; but generally speaking the first 15 minutes are trying to get technology to work and those who are in the virtual space sharing their weekend updates, which then need to be repeated when others join. this isn't necessarily a bad thing - but isn't generative and neither is there the real ability to share - although a great opportunity to admire the decor of peers' studies for those who work from home. Very often the important things happen in the last 5 minutes when someone will say 'I just wanted to bring up'.. which is frustrating because there is no time to really discuss. We also have a fortnightly, all day meeting in person in a room of our London headquarters. the rooms are very unattractive with heating/cooling systems that are never quite right. the benefits are walls to write on and excellent views across the river. I do try to instigate different ways of meeting with people - from walking meetings to sitting in the nearest park and whenever we have something which requires working together on a project or creating then there are coloured pens, post it notes and biscuits. I like what was said by the Milton Keynes chief exec about watching people's eyes and bringing out the quietest ones; and I do try to do that. Sometimes we are forced to have meetings where there are 1 or 2 people on skype and where possible I try to have their voices heard first - technology does mean we have the opportunity to hear from more people. I think it is possible to shape space and the use of technology to meet our needs - and we need to use them as tools to help build connections with each other. it is this connection where leadership, strategy and change happen

if i attached a photo it would be of a dirty white meeting room, with windows and a white board; a tv screen linked to the internet so (in theory) we could bring people into the room via skype, or show powerpoint displays etc. in reality very few of these are operating correctly and the whiteboards are all grubby and grimy; the temperature in the room is not perfect - but all of these annoyances are actually good for us because they bring us closer as we complain about them!

Week 5 – Activity 4

The attached photograph shows our office/boardroom set up for a volunteer forum meeting. We are based in small premises and this office is the only available space large enough to accommodate everyone. The meeting is organised after a consensus on suggested dates proposed via email. It brings together everyone connected with our centre and includes our managing director, staff, outreach workers and of course, volunteers.

The photograph captures the window at one end of the room. I am a fan of this window being open when the meeting is underway because it lets the sounds of our community into the room. I feel this is important as it is a reminder of people going about their business, and gives me a sense of how we are trying to do the same for our patrons.

We work from an agenda, which is sometimes required in large print. Contribution and challenge is openly welcomed and is not curtailed by strict time pressures. This meeting is conducted over a working buffet lunch, which generates a more social and less inhibited atmosphere. I think this yields greater involvement.

I think that we could freshen up our meetings by having a different colleague chair the meeting each time. As the room isn’t conducive to having the table in a different orientation, we could ensure we choose a different place at the table and sit next to different colleagues each time. If weather permitted, I would love to conduct a meeting in our local park just sitting on the grass.

 Journeying across the beautiful British country side Clare was treated to many different vistas and scenic views. On some days as she travelled the view changed very little. She saw building after building, homes and offices, schools and tower blocks. People going about their day to day business and passing mere pleasantries on their way to the next task.

 Other days Clare was treated to stormy sea side views of waves crashing against the cliffs as if the sea was trying to wash away all the barriers to its cause.

On still others Clare was able to participate in sunny summer meadow picnics are share time with those around her.

In the story Clare is totally reliant on mechanical transport to get her to the next place on her travels - as at work I am totally reliant on my computer and the reporting systems we use. Clare needed others to be a part of her journey too, those that planned it, those that were involved in purchasing the tickets, those that helped the journey to happen like the drivers. At work I need a team of others in other departments as well as my own to ensure that the whole journey can take place. The leadership in my place of work is sometimes formal, dealing with the mundane. Other times it is challenging and pushing for better results and outcomes. It can also be friendly and social at points too. Our physical space does very little to help anything but our day to day requirements often our leadership tasks are completed outside of the office space.

The place that comes to my mind is the Sanctuary, a retreat centre run by the Sisters of Charity in Dublin (Ireland). While working for the Immigrant Council of Ireland for 12 years, I visited the sanctuary on a regular basis. We used the centre for our strategic thinking, It represented thinking space for me and my colleagues. It was a space where open discussions on leadership and strategy took place. Unlike the office on the other side of town, The Sanctuary session did not look at management, human resources, finances. It was a space where we were expected to think outside the box, conceive and generate new ideas. The centre has a variety of rooms and a garden (see picture of the garden below).

In the 21st century we are never away from technology. Moreover during my visit to the sanctuary, I used technology when it was absolutely necessary.

In terms of outcomes, many ideas that became research projects, campaigns, policy papers were refined during our many visits to The Sanctuary. I have fond memories and on my recent visit to Dublin (May 9th, 2018), I had a great visit to The Sanctuary.

Looking forward to reading posts from Clare, Robbie, Marian, Jason, Helen, Rosemarie, Monique, Belinda, Maishara, Fatmah, Glory, Mike, Julie, Paul Griffiths, Ayser,   Peta, Paul Nolan, Tracy, Ian, among others. I am also looking forward to catching up with participants in the local learning club this Thursday.

I work from home, which I find wonderful! I quite enjoy my own company and can concentrate much better without people chatting around me or just popping over to my desk when I'm in the middle of something.  

However, I used to work in our HQ which is one of the most uninspirational buildings I've ever seen! Unfortunately, due to the design, many of the meeting rooms don't even have a window, so no natural light.  The furniture is often old, shabby or broken and they have never managed to control the temperature well (it's either too hot or too cold and they can only switch on air con for the entire building.  The heating also takes about 2 days to kick in after being switched off).  This does not create a happy or productive meeting space. 

A few years ago, they decided to create a new meeting room, with large windows, new furniture and a large TV for presentations and equipped with skype.  This was very welcomed.  However, the space is right next to the CEOs office and the walls are paper thin.  When having a large team meeting, the volume can go up and there have been many occasions where someone has come in and asked us to be quiet.  This is the case with most meeting rooms in the office. 

The new meeting room is so popular, it's hard to actually find a free date for your meeting and it has to be booked by the CEOs PA.  Also, despite having large windows, you can't actually open any of them fully, apart from a couple little slits at the top.  I feel fresh air is incredibly important to keep people awake and alert.  

The new meeting room was definitely a welcome relief for staff but its still limited in terms of layout.  Sofas would be wonderful but there is just not the space.   

Over the course of the last few years, my talent, skillset was reshaped through many volunteering experiences. Through these experiences this has equipped me to adapt and embrace new openings.

In today’s World, switching careers is becoming more common, not only because it is necessary but also because people are living longer, retirement age is being raised, different concepts of learning being utilised to equip people to propel their career opportunities through volunteerin.

Onwards and upwards in the career goals, everyone will have to reimagine and align their skillsets at some stage in their lives as we face a  less structured career path and, during this Fourth Industrial Revolution. Of course, we also need to think how we structure our society and the way we look at employment and contribution in years to come too.

We are having to adapt to the mobility of jobs opportunities, many people are constantly having to think about the advancement of opportunities and keep heads up on the outlook for new horizon elsewhere. Through the advancement of technologies and communications, it is more easily to contact people and apply for voluntary jobs.

With people living longer and the retirement age is rising, everyone will need to think long term about where the jobs prospects are going to be. It has been suggested that creativity and innovation of new fields careers will inevitably lie with how the World adapt and undercover new emergence of discovery.

For our workforce, this means individuals need to develop new skills to adapt with major changes and the redesign of services outputs. We will also start to see different working patterns and work more flexible. For now as for individuals we need think about own destiny, securing a future and beyond. I believed through the hard work, dedication and commitment, individuals can achieve their career paths and employment opportunities.

We work in a large open office with rows of desks all fitted with computers and phones. All the different teams and management work in the same space with the exception of senior management who have a separate office. The space has large windows looking down onto the rec' area for the young people.

Working in the same office the teams can collaborate and pull up relevant information from their computers instantly. For example on a typical day the designated safeguarding officer and duty manager might refer a yp who is struggling with issues the youth staff don't have the capacity to deal with to the mentoring team. The mentoring team can get the yp on the system and collaborate with the youth coordinator in the office on what the yp is like and what type of mentor they would benefit from. The mentoring team might look out the window on the session and see the yp in question and go have a chat and get them inducted to the programme. This environment leads to an accelerated process and collaborative leadership. The technologies allow communication and storing information in a safe manner to be so much easier.

There are drawbacks however. Working in the same office it can be hard to concentrate on your work when different teams are discussing their own projects. It is also much easier to get distracted and this can slow down productivity.

I would freshen the space up with much more colour as it is quite sparse in that regard.