Norms for shared leadership

IDEA Team, Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University

Purpose

The SFU Physics IDEA Team aims to:

·       encourage members with diverse views and experiences to participate in decisions;
·       distribute responsibilities and rewards equitably among members; and
·       promote changes that make our community more inclusive, equitable and diverse.

Accordingly, we adopt several norms for shared leadership, as described below.

Participate actively

Each member is expected to participate actively in team business. This does not mean that each member participates equally in all activities, but that they participate equitably, in a way that is consistent with their interests, skills, experiences, and time constraints. Members are also expected to support the participation of other members by actively inviting and encouraging it.

Rotate through leadership roles

At each meeting one member will be responsible for leading the discussion, another will be responsible for documenting it, and a third will provide an opening statement, such as a land acknowledgement, that situates the team activities in a larger historical and cultural context. Members are expected to rotate through these roles, both to distribute the workload and to ensure that all members are engaged in shaping the direction of team activity.

Engage the broader community

Members are expected to represent the IDEA Team within their social and professional networks, by both providing and soliciting information that relates to its activities.