We recently gave a presentation and seminar for the ‘Dear Change Maker: Using correspondence to develop a visual reflective practice’ (see video here). It was rewarding to share our work and hear the thoughts of academics and educators here at Imperial College and beyond.
We have since spoken to one of the participants at the seminar, Emma Skitt, an expert in leadership for teams and individuals in the business sector. She is an alumnus from Imperial College and attended the predecessor to the Imperial Horizons program, before graduating in Chemical Engineering in 1991. With this background we place particular value and interest in her perspectives on our project. And we thank her for making the following comments:
‘I work in the corporate world of leadership and change, so I was drawn to join the seminar discussion reviewing the “Dear Change Maker” postcard project.
I get to spend my working hours with change agents in global organisations, working out (and enhancing) with them how they make change happen in complex, well-established corporate cultures. Interactive image creation – especially within teams building a different future together – is a core part of that. I am always curious about different approaches that can influence and engage people in this.
I loved that this project focused on individuals’ experiences as they learned (learning = change, always) and gave them a way to make sense of this through both visual and tactile (slower-than-normal-world) connection. It takes people out of their familiar processing mode so they experience a change whilst reflecting on change. Very cool. Also loved the connection to another human being – so the creator was seen more “fully” and the relationships developed through the process.
It was great to see this project being positioned as an experience early in the career of high potential students. Having spent 30 years in the corporate world, post-Imperial, I know that being able to create change is as vital to business success as the technical excellence behind a solution. Getting practical ways to make sense of your own engagement with change – and how you connect with others through that – is highly valuable. Imagine if more people could experience this…….’