Speaker Questions: Dr Rob Worrall
Updated: Oct 14, 2022
Here are Dr Rob Worrall's top tips and answers to some of your questions!
How has your work been impacted by COVID-19, and what effect do you think it will have in the future?
Yes, I have had to move from delivering face to face interventions to delivering online to places as far afield as Kenya. Sometimes this has been with all participants attending
virtually and other times it has been with me attending virtually and other facilitators and participants attending in person. I have had to learn to work with a number of other facilitators on the ground
which has been particularly challenging and uncomfortable at first - but it is also where I have learnt the most. I have also had to design and re-design programmes that have been born digital or have had to be adapted
to the digital world. I have had to learn when less is more (in terms of content and enabling more time for interaction) and also how to curate student /participant experience so that the self direct prep work, live workshops and post workshop activities
work together and are aligned, and create clear synergies/reinforce each other - has been great to experiment, innovate and try out new approaches - build the car whilst driving it!
What has been the highlight of your career?
There have been a lot of highlights - when I have really made a difference - but feel I have come into my own in the past five-seven years in terms of constantly innovating and making a difference, feeling gradually more and more impassioned about trying out new approaches and being more creative and experimental. . Prefer working with a number of organisations rather than one -working with/ co-creating with people who have similar complementary skillsets, expertise and competencies -working as the quiet enabler and challenger. I really like it when I can see how people have grown and they come to realize it.
Do you have any advice on reading material for developing a growth mindset?
Look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWn_TJTrnU for a start. I would also suggest getting a big life journal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbqLV1mw7ys - you will learn more if you engage in reflective practice and develop good habits
https://hbr.org/2018/11/a-new-way-to-become-more-open-minded
There are a lot of resources out there so I would also recommend exploring a lot and seeing what speaks to you...
How do you think students can best prepare for the future?
By developing a growth mindset and being prepared to seek out and try new experiences - even if you think you will not like them at first or they are not your cup of tea - education in its widest sense,
events and experiences - reflect and learn from them - travel and go out and seek out the world - fail - is first attempt in learning - it is when we don't learn from experiences that we don't grow. Find your passion.
Watch Dr Rob Worrall's Talk here:
Do you have another question?
Use the from on the side to submit them.