Herschel Programme enables Arts Technical Supervisor, Betty O’Leary, to take a more strategic approach
“I wanted something to help give me a more strategic mindset and space and time to think about what being a manager is and how best to manage, and the programme did that.”
Having been promoted to a management role without any formal leadership training, and after navigating the impact of covid on her team, Arts Technical Supervisor Betty O’Leary was keen to apply to the 2023 Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership when encouraged to do so by her line manager.
The programme provided Betty with tools and techniques to become a more reflective leader and empowered her to step into a more strategic approach to management. With the support of her home institution, University of Sussex, she has continued to seek opportunities for further training and development and is contributing to institution wide projects and initiatives.
Why choose the Herschel Programme?
Betty’s background working as a theatre technician in a traditionally male dominated sector led to her current role in technical management at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, University of Sussex.
Resources within her team were impacted by the covid pandemic leading to Betty covering multiple roles and spending much of her time in reactive mode.
Her line manager became aware of the Herschel programme through work underway within the University’s Technician Commitment team and prompted Betty to apply.
“When I applied for Herschel my role had been very much firefighting due to lack of resource, I wasn’t being strategic. I wanted to learn tools to help me understand my sphere of influence and how to work out who I could influence and how. I also wanted to better understand and influence the culture I work within.”
Herschel Experience
Many Herschel Programme participants were from STEMM disciplines, however as an Arts technician, Betty felt the content of the programme was relevant to technicians from all backgrounds and disciplines.
“It was nice to know there were other Arts technicians on the programme, but I focused on the universality of the problems. It didn’t really matter what institution people worked at, we all suffer very, very similar problems.
Programme participants were all assigned to a small Action Learning Set (ALS) for the duration of the programme and, like many, Betty saw his as a highlight of her Herschel journey.
The ALS was really very special and helpful, we still meet. Hearing how they are currently applying for different jobs and doing things they thought they couldn’t do before, that’s inspiring!
Herschel made me more aware of things I already sort of knew. It was interesting to see some of the things I was doing in my life outside work reflected in the tools and techniques being taught. That really helped me feel empowered to merge the things I was doing outside of work linked to my ADHD diagnosis with how I was showing up at work.”
The diversity of participants on the programme in terms of background, disciplines and roles was another high point for Betty.
“I met women from all over the world working in the UK on projects like finding cures for cancer. Seeing these women who are all different, all working in what have traditionally been male dominated industries across UK institutions was really inspiring!”
Herschel Impact
“I wanted to be more strategic; the Herschel Programme really gave the opportunity to take a step back and think about things. To move away from ‘there’s a problem we need to sort it now’ to ‘ok there’s a problem, let’s think about it, let’s talk about it’.“Herschel was really helpful in providing me with different tools and different ways of thinking so I can pause before making a decision. I am much more conscious in my decisions and try to be more forward thinking in how to tackle a problem.
On the back of the Herschel Programme, Betty found a mentor through a scheme running at her university.
I really wanted to do the 360-feedback exercise mentioned in the programme, but felt doing it without a support structure in place would not be as productive, so I found a mentor and we went through the responses together. These gave me areas to work on which has prompted me to do more training and bring changes in the way I work and communicate with the team.”
Since Herschel, Betty has identified and undertaken further professional training, including her IOSHH 3 certification. She has also been involved in university wide projects that support staff and students across the institution.
What next?
On the back of a recent appraisal, Betty is currently looking into an apprenticeship opportunity, which would take her career in a new direction.
“I wouldn’t have thought about doing this if I hadn’t done the Herschel programme. I think it’s made me more open to doing further academic learning.
Herschel gave me an understanding that most good managers had to be taught this stuff, which is really empowering – if I could do this, what more training could I do, what else could I push myself to do?”