Thrive: sharing insights to build more inclusive and collaborative leadership structures

Posted on: 22 October 2024 in 2024

Colourful pencils lined up on top of a white surface
Colourful pencils lined up on top of a white surface

Alys Kay, Senior Research Developer (Leadership) on the Thrive project explains how her interview work is yielding important information that is helping to shape our understanding of the challenges and opportunities for positive, inclusive research culture.

One of the core aims of the Thrive project is to provide an alternative to the traditional Principal Investigator (PI)-led model and to increase the diversity of leadership voices in research.

Throughout the project, we have been focused on gathering data and narratives to better understand how leadership is experienced across research teams. Through interviews, focus groups, and workshops we have been engaging with individuals holding different roles, and we have been uncovering valuable insights into the common leadership challenges facing teams.

This research forms part of the evidence base which will ultimately inform the recommendations emerging from the Thrive project. By gathering personal, experiential narratives, we have been able to reflect on leadership challenges in research environments and ultimately, we will be able to propose practical strategies for building more inclusive and collaborative leadership structures.

We will be sharing insights from this work through a persona-based interactive workshop as part of the University of Warwick National Centre for Research Culture (NCRC) 'Conversation Series':

Together, we will explore the lived experiences of those often overlooked - technical staff, early-career researchers, and professional services - by facilitating discussions. Participants will evaluate how closely specific personas reflect their own leadership challenges and collectively offer insights into how these challenges can be addressed to foster greater inclusivity.

But what is a persona?

A persona is a fictional character based on real-world experience, created to represent different types of individuals within a system. In the context of research leadership, personas capture the lived experiences, challenges, and perspectives of people working in various roles - such as technicians, Principal Investigators (PIs), and professional services staff.

By engaging with these personas, participants will be able to gain a better understanding of how leadership structures impact different members of a research team and explore practical ways to create more inclusive leadership.

For example, Persona A represents a Principal Investigator (PI). The PI is skilled and experienced but struggles with the challenge of balancing control and delegation. They often feel the need to oversee every aspect of the project to maintain quality but recognise that empowering their team is crucial for fostering growth and innovation. Holding onto control and allowing the team to lead can sometimes create challenges in developing a truly inclusive, collaborative environment.

On the other hand, Persona B is a technician with deep expertise critical to the project's success. However, they often feel overlooked in decision-making processes. Despite their valuable contributions, this persona hesitates to share ideas in meetings, constrained by traditional hierarchies that prioritise academic voices. This experience highlights a common issue in research settings, where non-academic staff play essential roles but are excluded from leadership discussions.

The workshop will introduce four personas representing diverse leadership experiences from different roles within research teams. The workshop is intended to be thought provoking and for participants to come away with:

  • Deeper understanding of leadership enablers and barriers.
  • Practical strategies for inclusivity: the session will provide an opportunity for participants to share and discuss actionable strategies to promote inclusivity and collaboration in their teams or organisations.
  • Contribution to leadership diversity research: participants will have the opportunity to shape the development of leadership personas through their feedback, helping to refine strategies for addressing leadership barriers in research culture.

Register here