My career in students’ unions has been accidental in many ways. As a student, I didn’t get involved in my own SU. I was first generation, from a low-participation neighbourhood, and have a disability.
There were so many barriers (perceived and real) which prevented me from getting involved.
I didn’t even know what a students’ union or a student society was, let alone possessed the confidence or capital to engage. By my final year though, I’d become a little more assured and some of my SU’s messaging had got through too. I joined a couple of societies, hosted a radio show, did some volunteering, and put on a charity fundraising gig. Suddenly, I was engaged in these pretty transformative opportunities – albeit a little late. That whole experience is what’s driven me in lots of ways over the years.
Following my graduation and off the back of my fast-tracked SU experience, I secured a Grad Traineeship as a Volunteer Coordinator for nine months at Hallam Students’ Union, moving to Sheffield SU the following year, which has then seen me progress through various roles over the last 16 years.
My colleague Beth last week reflected on her learnings joining an SU as an “outsider.”
As an “insider” who progressed through the organisation, I have some unique insights which can be invaluable, if harnessed in the right way.
Ground knowledge and social capital
Having completed various roles over the years, I have on-the-ground knowledge of how things work, what’s possible, what’s needed, and why certain projects or processes exist. This can open up opportunities to fast-track progress and change where it’s needed, leaning on reliable information and experience, and offering the chance to critique and challenge from a place of trust and authenticity.
There’s a significant level of social capital and soft power that can come from being in an organisation for a while, and there’s real value in thinking how this can be used to help drive organisational change and performance, removing blocks and building buy-in.
This has been vital as we’ve introduced recent changes at Sheffield, laying the foundations for a new and ambitious strategy, dedicated to delivering an outstanding student experience and introducing new models and ways of working.
An extension of this, is both the depth and breadth of knowledge I’ve gained over the years about the organisation, its history and its culture. I can help identify where the organisational ghosts and cultural hangovers are and more crucially, help the organisation to anticipate, to plan better and smarter, mitigate risk, and learn from the past.
I can often be both a thermometer and a thermostat for the organisation!
I’m able to take the temperature of the organisation but also help to set it. This ability to pivot and quickly cycle through assessment and action, can be super helpful during periods of significant uncertainty or change (and let’s face it, there’s plenty of those).
Embracing change
Part of my career progression can definitely be attributed to my attitude to change and opportunity. Throughout the various changes that Sheffield SU has been through over the years, I’ve always seen an opportunity, a moment to recalibrate and develop something new.
As students’ unions, change should be in our blood. As organisations with change at our very heart and built into our mission, leadership and governance structures, it’s always struck me as a curious paradox that we can easily get so attached to certain models and ways of doing things, and sometimes so resistant to trying new things.
The longstanding “VUCA” (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) state we’ve been operating in isn’t going to change anytime soon and our students have never needed us to respond to that more than they do now.
Of course it’s not all as simple as I’ve set out here and there are definitely some things I have to keep an eye on. Like most strengths, they can be overdone and the flip side of all the above is the potential risk of developing scepticism or blind spots, or a failure to allow for shifting contexts which impact those historical insights and experiences.
As with anything though, once you’re aware of it, you can manage it.
Rebel ideas
Bring together mine and Beth’s reflections, what is the cumulative value of our differing observations and variations in experience and perspective?
In many ways of course the labels of “insider” and “outsider” are reductive and lack nuance but they’ve been deliberately provocative here and sought to provide useful discussion points.
When we shared our perspectives at NUS Strategy Exchange, we asked others to think about the balance of different perspectives and experiences within their organisations, and how that composition acts as an enabler or a barrier.
We also asked what opportunities there were for others to map and further utilise those diverse experiences across their organisations, or adjust the balance, and what and where might that help them progress. What stood out in those discussions was the shared agreement that these labels matter far less than our openness to listen to different viewpoints, seek feedback and challenge ourselves and others.
It’s this mindset that enables us to achieve continuous and sustainable impact within our organisations and communities.
Much has been written about the value of diverse thought and experience, particularly in team settings. It’s often acknowledged, but not always common in practice. At Sheffield SU, it’s been a deliberate strategy to bring together a new Senior Leadership Team composed of different viewpoints, skills, and “insider” and “outsider” perspectives.
We’re still working on it but we’ve undoubtedly developed a new strategy that’s stronger for its diverse inputs and experiences, and we’re building the foundations and culture which openly invites diverse thought and opinion, new ideas and constructive challenge. We’ll only be stronger because of that, which ultimately will allow us to think differently and better in delivering what we need to for students.
