What Went Well?
This week marked some positive progress from the work I completed last week. I was able to move from researching potential partners to actually beginning to develop the five Erasmus+ proposals that we are hoping to submit for the October call. I began researching and drafting the proposals and liaised with partner organisations, both independently and alongside colleagues in meetings, to establish the longer-term aims of each project and the methodology that we will use. I especially enjoyed this part of my LiA because I was able to start to see how an initial idea develops into a structured funding proposal.
I also began researching potential donors across Greece, the EU, and internationally to help develop a new direction for CulturePolis' funding strategy. I enjoyed taking the initiative to go beyond the work that I was specifically asked to do by identifying potential donors and those that may be interested in promoting and attending CulturePolis events outside the list I was provided. This felt like a good example of becoming more confident in taking ownership of my work rather than waiting to be given the next task.
I am also beginning to understand more clearly how the different stages of funding and promotion fit together. I am developing a better awareness of CulturePolis' brand identity and how to develop a consistent message across its different projects and communications. This has helped me to work towards my SMART goals in a broader way than completing individual tasks, as I am beginning to understand how my work contributes to the organisation's wider objectives.
What Could Have Been Done Differently?
The main difficulty this week was the amount of partner research involved in developing the Erasmus+ proposals. Although I appreciate that this is an important part of putting projects together, I found the process quite repetitive and tiring, particularly when I spent a long time trying to find contact details for organisations but couldn't locate the right ones.
I found this quite frustrating because I often spent a long time researching an organisation without knowing whether I would ultimately be able to contact them.
I am also still learning how to balance working independently with understanding the wider direction of each project. With five proposals developing at the same time, it has been challenging at times to remember which project is doing what, and with which partner. I plan to ask more questions to ensure that I am on the right track without having to double-check everything myself.
Leadership 3C's
Values
The values for this week were Curious, Ambitious and Extraordinary. I have been curious about how the Erasmus+ proposals are developing and about how the different partners' ideas can be brought together into a fully developed project proposal. I have also been more ambitious in looking beyond the immediate tasks I was given by researching organisations that could support CulturePolis in the future.
I think the Extraordinary value was relevant because I made a conscious effort to go beyond what was expected of me.
There was also some tension between being Fast and being Good. The partner research was very time-consuming, but I did not want to sacrifice the quality of the research just to finish it quickly. I am still learning when to accept that a job is finished and know that I can move forward.
Character
The character dimensions that were most tested this week were Drive, Judgment and Humility. The repetitive nature of the partner research tested my drive when I was unable to find the information I was looking for.
Judgment was important when deciding which potential partners and donors were actually relevant to CulturePolis, rather than just gathering data.
Humility has continued to be important because I am still learning how EU funding works. I feel that I am becoming more confident in contributing to discussions, but I also recognise that my colleagues and partner organisations have considerably more experience than me. I want to continue developing my own ideas but also recognise that I am not the most experienced person in the room.
Capacities
The capacities I relied on most this week were Research and Analysis, Communication and Influencing, and Strategy and Vision. Research and analysis were particularly important when developing the Erasmus+ proposals and researching potential donors. Communication and influencing were also important when liaising with partner organisations and discussing the direction of the projects.
I think that I have started to develop my strategic thinking. Rather than just focusing on the immediate proposals, I have started to think about how different sources of funding, potential partners and promotional opportunities contribute to CulturePolis' development in the long-term.
The area where I felt most stretched was managing several different projects at once. Each proposal has its own partners, objectives and methodology, so I have had to become more organised in keeping track.
Ethical Engagement
This week gave me a much better understanding of how collaborative the Erasmus+ projects actually are. My conversations with partner organisations have helped to shape the longer-term aims and methodologies of the proposals, rather than CulturePolis simply deciding what the projects should look like and asking partners to participate. This has made me more aware of the importance of listening to partners and allowing their expertise and priorities to influence the development of a project.
My role has therefore been a mixture of supporting, learning and taking increasing amounts of initiative. I have been able to contact organisations and conduct research independently, but I have also worked alongside others during project team meetings.
My research into potential donors also made me think more carefully about what it means to find appropriate funding. The donor should have some connection to the project's objectives and CulturePolis' work. This has made me more aware of the importance of financial sustainability combined with ensuring that partners ethically align with CulturePolis.
Adjustment & Development for Next Week
Next week, I want to become more efficient when carrying out repetitive research. I will try to set clearer priorities when researching partners and donors so that I do not spend too much time pursuing individual contacts when there are other tasks that I could be progressing.
The value I want to continue developing is Ambitious, particularly by taking greater ownership of the Erasmus+ proposals as they develop. I also want to strengthen my Strategy and Vision capacity by thinking more about how the individual projects fit within CulturePolis' wider objectives rather than considering each proposal in isolation.
My main practical goal for next week is to continue drafting the five Erasmus+ proposals and maintaining communication with the partner organisations involved. I will also begin working on the Centre for Arab and Balkan Languages website, updating posts and translating content. This will give me an opportunity to develop my technical skills and to work on a different aspect of CulturePolis' communications.