First Impressions
6th September 2021
Firstly, a very warm welcome to all the new students and staff that have recently joined us this year at the University of Gloucestershire. I have been on leave for most of the summer and, honestly speaking I couldn’t wait to get back onto campus! I came back on Wednesday 1st of September, which is earlier than most students and term-time staff, and it really was a welcome sight to be seeing people in what was a deserted site and sight, for most of last year! Secondly, many of the week’s encounters were colleagues from previous years, so a very warm welcome-back to you. My reflection this week is about how I have tried to give those new people a warm welcome and how I have tried to make them feel comfortable to take their first steps into our Sanctuary at Oxstalls. We’ve all heard the saying ‘make first impressions count’ and how ‘first impressions lasting impressions’ (sound like a great title for a book)!
But then again, the whole premise of ‘first impressions’…. doesn’t it sound a bit judgemental? We always say that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. So how can you or I ensure that people don’t judge us, when they first see us? I reflect upon this because my eldest daughter recently told me that her school friends were quite often surprised by me. She said they were shurprised by how well I could speak English. They assumed that I didn’t speak English or that I spoke little English but with a very strong accent! Because of the way I looked and the way I dressed. I was slightly taken aback by this and tried not to take offence, because English has always been my first language. Its the language I think in.
At least…I think I do!
But it really got me thinking, we all come with our preconceptions and unconcious biases. Every single one of us will have some inconcious bias like assuming that mums are better cooks than dads. Sometimes these assuptions can stem from statistics and norms, for example assuming that a secretary is a woman or that a firefighter is a man. Society is changing fast but it seems that our minds are hard to change when it comes to making assumptions. I made the terrible mistake of assuming a female colleague in our hospital worked as a nurse! She corrected me straight away saying she was a doctor! I was left feeling embaressed! I can’t believe I made such a wrong assumption. I can hear a tiny voice in my head saying, don’t beat yourself up- it is understandable. But no, I should not have made any kind of assumption and I will have to learn never to make any assumptions like this again.
Unconscious Bias is not easily identifiable but if take the online training below -you will be able to identify, challenge and reduce your own biases – and this hopefully will result in fairer, more inclusive and unbiased behaviour. After the training, if you find you have a bias then it means that you just need to be aware of those and work to challenge that within yourself.
https://app.ihasco.co.uk/training/programme/549 [might only be accessible to university staff]
Being a Muslim, I have felt sometimes that people make assumptions of me and I know there is nothing I can do about their preconceptions. But what I can do is be myself, be open, and allow open dialogue so that people feel safe to speak about their feelings and their thoughts. I also ensure to keep smiling! I had a colleague say, that my smile enters the room before I do! The same premise kind of goes for chaplaincy. People often have the impression that we only deal with end-of-life situations or religious matters, and the truth is we deal with so much more than that. I refer you to a very apt article written in the Church Times entitled ‘University Chaplaincy: about more than kind words and pizza‘, that explains better than I can! Do feel welcome to come along to our Sanctuaries- and trust me once you step in – you may not want to leave! We have tea and coffee available, at no cost to you and maybe even biscuits! Come and see us, we’re in the SC building, opposite the Sports Hall just after the Refectory.