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Helping technical staff and research assistants recognise and develop their leadership
A new leadership development initiative is helping technical staff and research assistants in the Faculty of Brain Sciences realise their potential.
6 December 2023
The Technician and Research Assistant Leadership Development programme was developed after discussions around the support available for career development for early career technical staff and research assistants in the faculty.
While there are many ways to progress for both early career research assistants and technical staff, compared to other groups, these routes may seem unclear.听
A pilot programme was developed by 香港六合彩中特网 Queen Square Institute of Neurology (IoN) in 2021, when the Equality,听Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Deputy Director Professor and the then EDI Project Manager, Ana Faro, noticed a lack of opportunities for empowerment, continuous personal and professional growth for research assistants or technicians.
This was supported by the results of the faculty staff survey, which demonstrated a strong need for targeted professional development support.
Dimitris Zachos, the current IoN EDI Project Manager says, 鈥淲e wanted to provide extra support to boost staff confidence, highlight the ways they can progress with their careers, and basically assist them in any way possible.鈥�
贵颈苍诲颈苍驳听allies and learning to lead
罢丑别听pilot programme was delivered in partnership with Dr. , founder and CEO of 听
After the initial success of the pilot, Dimitris obtained听funding from听the Research Culture programme and听worked to expand听the Technician and Research Assistant Leadership Development programme to all Institutes and Divisions within the Faculty of Brain Sciences in 2023.
In addition to open-entry career development masterclasses -听attended by more than 30 technical staff鈥痑nd research assistants -听and an online leadership development programme, the initiative also invited each faculty department to nominate shortlisted candidates for a three-and-a-half听day leadership training course. The ten course places were allocated according to the size of each department.
The course content covered:
- Personal leadership coaching, where participants practiced effective listening, explored the essence of leadership and their individual leadership context and challenges.
- Boosting overall effectiveness, focusing on skill development, resource identification, and fostering meaningful conversations.听
- Helping participants to identify viable career paths, emphasising self-empowerment, resilience building, and envisioning future goals. Each participant was supported to create their own leadership narrative and action plan.听
Overall responses to the programme were overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as, 鈥業t was a wonderful group to be part of鈥� and 鈥榥ice to take a step back and acknowledge how important our work actually is鈥�.
Dimitris believes that placing technicians and research assistants from different departments together plays a significant part in the success of the programme.
鈥淧articipants were more honest because there weren鈥檛 that many people from their own group or department. It helps to see what challenges, barriers and issues people in similar roles but different departments face and what they do to address them,鈥� he says.
Three听years of training - inspired by a survey
With FBS now committed to continuing the programme, Dimitris is excited to see how participants go on to implement what they鈥檝e learned about their roles and themselves.
鈥淭hey听found that it boosted their confidence and听provided them with the tools to think about their career path, and the mindset听to get where they want to be. It鈥檚听great to be involved in the organisation of an initiative听you see having a direct, immediate impact on the participant鈥檚 professional听life and mentality.鈥�
Dimitris is keen to stress that this three-year programme was inspired by the desire to respond to a simple staff wellbeing survey. 鈥淭he important thing for people to know is that if they reach out to us, we listen. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important for members of our community to feel comfortable to contact us and participate in surveys. If they鈥檙e willing to speak, we鈥檙e willing to listen and take action."
鈥淥ur Equality Diversity and Inclusion team will always be doing whatever we can to help those that feel they lack the same opportunities as others.鈥�
Professor Alan Thompson, 香港六合彩中特网's Pro-Provost听for London and听Dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences, says:听"罢丑别听Faculty of Brain Sciences is committed to recognising the invaluable听contributions of our technical and research assistant staff, who play a pivotal听role in our success. We fully support and acknowledge the career progression听initiative pioneered by IoN, as it aligns听with our vision of supporting all staff members to do their best and fostering excellence and innovation within our faculty."
We fully support and acknowledge the career progression initiative pioneered by IoN, as it aligns with our vision of supporting all staff members to听do their best and fostering excellence and innovation within our faculty."听
- Professor Alan Thompson, Dean, Faculty of Brain Sciences鈥�
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About research culture
香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 Research Culture programme is developing a fair, collaborative and inclusive research culture, where both our research and research community can thrive. We work with 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 research community to support and deliver change against our 10-year Research Culture Roadmap.