Master Your Environmental Leadership
The environmental crisis currently facing our planet needs some BIG ideas. To affect change we must do things differently and motivate ourselves into ACTION.
The Graduate School and the Environmental Team at QUB have developed this programme, which brings together undergraduate and postgraduate students to develop and enhance their personal leadership skills as activists for climate change and sustainability.
The programme - through active exploration of leadership concepts - promotes collaboration, inspiring behavioural change, self-motivation and influencing others to be their ‘best self’. Students learn about, experience and apply personal leadership skills in a simulated reality of ‘work’ that builds confidence, empathy, communication and team-working skills and competences to drive climate action within Queen’s University.
Through participation in a range of virtual and interactive workshops, students work in collaborative teams of multi-disciplinary excellence on a ‘Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Challenge’. Drive climate action within Queen’s through participation and leading on an Environmental Leadership Project from its inception to implementation.
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What's involved?
- You will actively participate in sessions and group discussions/activities, explore the concept of ‘self-leadership’ and personal effectiveness, and learn what it takes to form and lead in a high performing team
- You will complete a 360° assessment using Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership Framework and the Student Leadership Challenge (LPI)
- You will self-reflect on the behaviours and skills learnt, practiced, and experienced during the sessions. You will develop your own personal skills competency proforma, participating and receiving peer-to-peer and facilitator feedback in line with your future development and employability
- Using Project Management Methodologies, Storytelling, Positive Behaviour theory and Communication techniques, you will produce a Project Initiation Document (PID) and Business Case
- Working together, your team will convert an idea into a viable project and pitch to a panel of experts. The Project Pitch is a 10 minute team presentation delivered during WS 7.
- You will recieve feedback on the viability of your project. Once approved, your team can use funding from Postgraduate Led Initiative and Green Impact funds to implement the project within the Queen’s staff and student community.
- Skills Development
You'll develop a range of skills such as:
- Team Working
- Communicating with Impact
- Collaboration
- Leadership Role, Styles & Personality
- Innovation, Creative-thinking & Decision-Making
- Leadership Behaviours, Collaboration & Empathy
- Project Management Methodologies
- Sustainability Knowledge
- Emotional Intelligence & Resilience
- Future-Ready Award
The programme offers recognition through the Future-Ready Award scheme, which is determined by full participation in the programme, presenting your Project Pitch and completion of the competency proforma.
Each team will have the opportunity to apply for funding and support to implement their project.
- Meet the Consultants
The six day programme is led by Caroline Dobson and/or John Mackel, Postgraduate Training and Development Consultants at the Graduate School. Caroline and John are both experienced Leadership and Team Development Consultants and professional Coaches and between them have over 40 years’ experience in supporting the development of individuals, teams and leaders in the public and private sectors. It is their role to facilitate the workshops, introduce you to a variety of different leadership concepts, theories and research perspectives that will support your leadership development journey and the creation of your project. They will introduce you to key figures within the NI Environmental Sector, who will facilitate sessions within the programme that aim to enhance your design thinking, communication and project management skills with a particular expertise in Climate Change and Sustainability.
- Programme Overview & Dates
Date Workshop Title Content / Aim 25th November 2021
In Person & Canvas
Environmental Leadership:
Welcome, Introduction, The SDGsOverview of the blended learning programme.
Introduction to the SDGs and Team Challenge.
Outcome: Get to know the cohort and understand what is required in the Programme.
2nd December 2021
Live session & Canvas
Master Your Environmental Leadership:
High Performing Teams, Self & Team Leadership, IdeationLeadership and self, values and styles.
Using innovation tools to think creatively and critically about SDG challenges and narrow your project team ideas into potential solutions.
Outcome: Focus Project Team identity and area against SDGs. Understand team formation and the concept of self-leadership, values and styles. Create a Project Title & Statement.
9th December 2021
Live session & Canvas
Master Your Leadership:
Leadership Practices, Communication with Impact, Project ManagementK&P Five Exemplar Leadership Practices and 360 Feedback LPI Report analysis.
Leadership and communicating with impact and managing conflict in project teams.
Project Management methodologies for SDG Project, key sections of 'PID'.
Outcome: Personal Development Plan. Understand how to manage conflict and communication well within your team. Understand the principles of Project Planning. Identify project scope, smart objectives, stakeholders, create a project plan (key milestones) and develop a work breakdown structure.
13th January 2022
Live session & Canvas
Environmental Leadership:
How to be a Sustainability Storyteller - Reframing the Sustainability Message, Project Context: STEEPLE & SWOTUsing storytelling techniques, learn how we can frame environmental actions so they are something people want to do - not something people are ordered to do.
Understand basic theories of positive behaviour change and discuss how these principles can be used to influence positive environmental change. Further develop ideas and apply project management methodologies to your plan.
Outcome: Communication techniques will be practiced and undertaken. Understand key behavioural change theories. Understand the context of the project and how this will influence the business case and funding application.
20th January 2022
Live session & Canvas
Master Your Leadership:
Positive Behaviour Change, Influencing, Negotiation & Persuasion, Resilience, Stress Tolerance & Flexibility, Team PresentationsIntroduce emotional intelligence, personality, team roles and how to build resilience in yourself and others.
Connect influencing and persuasion with a focus on influencing and negotiation in Project Management.
How to create healthy habits.
Review progress of Project Pitch Presentations, logistics and potential for applying for funding.
Outcome: Understand the principles of negotiation, EQ profile. Understand what impacts resilience and stress tolerance, and move your team towards performing stage.
27th January 2022
Live session & Canvas
Environmental Leadership:
Project Pitch & Presentations; Applying for Funding; CV/Competency Proforma & Next StepsExplore how you will implement your project and prepare a funding application. Prepare your Project Pitch Presentation.
Outcome: Understand key behavioural change theories; present your project (PID); receive feedback and understand the project funding application process; complete a CV/Competency Proforma.