Where is the Love? The Re-imagination of Professional Voice

1. Where is the Love? The Re-imagination of Professional Voice Paul-Alan Armstrong, Lecturer in Organization Studies, Sunderland Business School

2. Purpose of Workshop • To present a framework for the re-imagination of professional voice • To demonstrate how lyrics from songs can reflect professional voice • To present a critique of the use of lyrics from songs and other poetic forms can overcome the struggle for critical reflexivity. • To introduce the reflexive provocateur paradigm and how this could possibly be a pathway for students identifying and expressing their graduate attributes and professional behaviours

3. Activity 1: Exploring ‘Voice’ • For the purpose of this activity, ‘Voice’ is defined as your self-image (your personality, your beliefs, your values, your spirituality, your ethics, your morality, your identities) • As a drawing map out your ‘voice’, you can complete this either as your personal and or professional voice • Your drawing can include words, pictures or a combination. • Activity should last 5 to 10 minutes • Pass your drawing to the person next to you • In the pairs (or 3s) discuss what the drawings symbolises about ‘voice’

4. Developing the Re-imagination of Professional Voice Framework

5. The Re-Imagination of Professional Voice Framework • See Figure 1 in Multiplicity of Voice Prism: A Guide. • The next stage is the multiplicity of voice prism (see figure 2 in handout). • My Prism • What would be your prism?

6. Activity 2: Your Voices • Outline your voices both personal and professional (refer to handout for guidance) • Draw out your own Multiplicity of Voice prism

7. Emotional Recall and Reflexivity • The use of lyrics as a poetic is a pathway to understand your self-Image (voice) in your personal and professional domains. The use of art-based auto-ethnography (Ellis, 2004) can lead to; • ‘I start with my personal life and pay attention to my physical feelings, thoughts and emotions. I use what I call ‘systematic sociological introspection’ and ‘emotional recall’ to try and understand an experience I’ve lived through’(Goffman, 1959, cited in Ellis, 2004: xvii).

8. Activity 3: Lyrics as a Pathway to Critical Reflexivity • The following activity will take place in small groups. • Using the pack of lyrics provided ‘deconstruct’ them in terms of professional voice • Discuss your ‘deconstruction’ in groups • Feedback and share with the rest of the workshop

9. Examples of Research in Action for me using lyrics from songs, was a good way for me articulate, myself as I’m not that great at expressing what I’m thinking, and then putting it down on paper, doing it this way, also confirmed that i don’t stand alone, in my thoughts! (Viv, Year 2 HRM Student) At first I found it quite difficult as I had never done anything like it before and found it hard trying to find song lyrics which reflected different parts of me. Also I had never reflected in this way on myself before so it was a challenge. After getting into it I found it a really good way to reflect and a good way to learn more about myself and the different parts of me. (Amalia, Year 2 HRM Student)

10. Examples of Research in Action At first I found using lyrics as a method of reflecting quiet daunting as it wasn’t something I had done before and didn’t really let out my creative side. But once I found a song that meant a lot to me I found the process so much easier than any other form of reflection. I have found it hard at the beginning to express and put down in words my own thoughts, feelings and reflections. Using the lyrics provided me with a great starting point in my reflective journey. (Lisa, Year 4 HRM Student) I really enjoyed using lyrics as a method or reflection, Lyrics is something I come in contact with every day as I am passionate about music. I often related various types of songs to my mood in my personal life, so being able to use lyrics in an assignment was refreshing and really allowed me to express myself, whilst still being in my comfort zone. I found myself listening to the radio and each song that came on I trying to relate it to myself, therefore I was constantly thinking about the critical evaluation. (Ashleigh, Year 4 HRM Student)

11. Conclusion and Feedback • Challenges for Reflexivity: the multiplicity of voice prism and re-imagination of professional voice frameworks offer an opportunity to enhance the sustainable employability of graduates. To be reflexive allows you to understand your values, your beliefs, and your perceptual world = your professional behaviours and values. To sustain employability is a challenge in a ever changing world of work and having transferable skills, attributes and behaviours are central to this. However unless you can ‘tell your story’, ‘understand what your story means’, how can you sustain employability? • The use of poetics is a pathway to critical reflexivity as it uses metaphors to express your personal and professional voice. The use of the multiplicity of voice prism has been conducted as a part of a level 2 HR module as well as a Level 3 Placement Project module and the feedback from the students has indicated the use of lyrics as a method to understand personal self and aspiring professional self.

12. Discussion • The value of the use of lyrics in teaching and learning • Whether the workshop has illustrated how lyrics can be a pathway for critical reflexivity • Transferability of concept to learning, teaching and assessment