Reflections on my first month at Cardiff Metropolitan Univeresity

I've really enjoyed following the reflections of some of my connections on LinkedIn who recently started new roles, so I've taken some time to reflect on my own first four weeks in a new position, I hope you don't mind me sharing...

Fiery Beginnings

My journey as the new IT Service Desk Manager at Cardiff Metropolitan University began with an unexpected fire drill at the beginning of the interview, but that was only the first of several 'trials by fire'. The unplanned drill, however, was professionally handled by the interviewers - neatly illustrating the institution's commitment to its people; a sentiment I have consistently experienced like a golden thread through my first month in post.

In spite of the minor disruption, the interview went well and I had such a positive feeling about joining the team that I was overjoyed to get a call offering me the position back in June.

First Steps

Taking the lead of a team of 13 permanent and temporary staff, was a bigger challenge. From the outset, I intended to remain true to my values and wanted to ensure I incorporated theory from my studies and lessons I have learned from past mistakes to a new opportunity for a fresh start; I have really embraced the challenge. I've been focusing on individual strengths and aspirations within the team and seeking to build clarity, trust and cooperative relationships with partner teams and the various schools and service units within the University. In an already established and productive work environment, this has been easy for the most part. A standout moment early-on was empowering one of my team members to voice his intention instead of seeking permission.?This provided an early opportunity to demonstrate my leadership style whilst also building a reputation for developing trust and respect within the team. I am proud to say that individual went on to involve and lead other members of the team, drawing upon their knowledge, skills and expertise in specific areas to to deliver some improved user guides.

New Challenges

One of our primary objectives is the planned launch of a new service desk tool. Despite the tight deadlines of the academic timetable and challenges arising from issues with the current tool, I've encouraged optimism, commiting to the development of tactical and strategic project plans, employing agile methodologies and prioritising tasks for effective delivery. This is going to be a challenge for us, but I'm working on contingency plans with the team and other business stakeholders to ensure, whatever happens, we are moving forward.

During my third week, a network outage occured, affecting services at both our Llandaff and Cyncoed campuses, and what might have been my first major incident. In spite of the limited staff and student impact, it was a challenging period but served to reinforce the importance of robust communication and calm leadership. There was an excellent response from the security and infrastructure teams and my own team communicated and integrated well into the investigation and response. Whilst sometimes stressful and challenging, these experiences highlight the crucial role of a leader in guiding their team through adversity, being able to quickly leverage effective networks and fosterin a spirit of cooperation rather than competition.

Positive Optimism

The highlight of the month has to have been at the staff summer garden party last week, during which members of our team were presented with a Vice Principal's award for going the extra mile, a proud moment for everyone indeed!

The acceptance and support from my peers has also made me feel really positive and also included. Cardiff Metropolitan University has an excellent reputation as a good place to work, where loyal staff take care of eachother and I have certainly felt genuinely welcomed, it is a heartening feeling to be valued and trusted by everyone. Above all, I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and I feel lucky to find myself in a secure and supportive environment, encompassed by consistently positive culture once again.

Fear and Inspiration

My passion for leadership, influenced by Kim Scott's 'Radical Candor' and David Marquet's 'Leader-Leader' models, bring some focus on embracing failure, learning from mistakes, and fostering a culture of transparency. I'm dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels empowered. At certain times over the last month I've had to work hard to remind myself what I value and believe in, to check my thinking and ensure what I do is aligned with what I think and say. Clarity is a keyword that has come up over and over in multiple conversations and along with control and competency, it forms the foundation of a strategy for success.

Learning not to fear failure is difficult, but it already seems to be leading to good outcomes.

Looking to The Future

Reflecting on this first month, I truly appreciate the resilience of my team, the support of my fellow leaders at all levels, and the exciting potential that lies ahead. I'm starting to shift from a passive 'observing and learning' stance to a more active leading role, perhaps a little earlier than I expected to - but I have some exciting ideas and plans in development that I am certain will enable opportunities for many people to take ownership, develop clarity, build confidence and develop competence. Strategically I hope this will lead to the creation pathways for personal development and succession, improved efficiency and other colateral successes for the organisation as a whole. I'm genuinely looking forward to working with my team to implement innovative solutions in a respectful environmnet with an outstanding culture and enabling growth.