Staff Rides!

One of our assignments while we were in Ireland was to facilitate a staff ride for our classmates.  Essentially, we picked a destination on our itinerary and discussed a leader associated with that place.  We created discussion questions about that place and leader to get our classmates thinking about what it means to be a global leader.

When we visited the Blarney Castle, Diane Hawes gave her staff ride on the legend of the Blarney Stone.

The class in front of the Blarney Castle!

Diane facilitating her staff ride.

When we visited King John's Castle in Limerick, Shelly presented her staff ride, followed by Mike and Matt.  Shelly facilitated a great discussion on the leadership style (or lack thereof!) of King John.  Mike and Matt talked about the leadership of Garret Barry.

Getting ready to hear some staff rides and visit King John's Castle!

At the top of King John's Castle

Looking at the Shannon River from King John's Castle: Dr. Ann Herd, Tammy Albers, and Dr. Kevin Rose

Braving the weather at Ladies View-Ring of Kerry

At the Tarc Waterfall-Ring of Kerry: Tammy Albers, Michael Babieri, Emily Griffin, Dr. Ann Herd, and Chelsea McKendree

From the top of King John's Castle

University of Louisville presenters at UFHRD

We had two faculty and one student present research at the UFHRD conference while we were there!

Dr. Ann Herd presented 3 papers and chaired a conference session.

Dr. Kevin Rose presented two papers.

..and Chelsea McKendree presented a paper as well.

Congratulations to all three presenters!  Go Cards!

Jenn Crase 6/7/2015

If you were not on this trip, today was the day for you to be completely jealous of.  If you were on the trip, there were no other words than amazing for the day we had -- probably my very favorite day of the whole trip.

First, we were able to sleep in a little bit (like 7:30 but it was still nice).  Dagmar, Matt, and Dr. Rose headed out early and purchased food at the local gas station -- I know it sounds silly to buy groceries at a gas station but it was the closest place and it was pretty impressive on having the food we needed.  As an added bonus, the attendant checking them out decided to serenade Dagmar singing, "Put your head on my shoulder" -- not a typical gas station experience.  Once back at the hotel (which was more like a hostel), we had an amazing breakfast experience.  It was great how everyone chipped in and helped out -- some cooked, some chopped, some warmed the butter, some washed but it was a great community effort and a great breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, fruits and vegetables.

Next we boarded a bus for our travels to the Cliffs of Mohr.  I had my staff ride so on the bus, each traveler listened to a six minute story about Durty Nelly.  We arrived at the Bunratty Castle where Durty Nelly was the toll-bridge keeper and started a restaurant.  I shared her story and we stayed for about an hour and a half for a castle tour, some shopping, and a walk through the gardens.

Once back on the bus, we took a short ride to one of Ireland's beaches.  We took a great group photo with the water as our back drop and then got a chance to put our feet in the water.  It was very cold but made several of us very happy (myself included).  Some brave souls tried a local treat -- periwinkles.  Just take off the cap, dig them out, and enjoy.  Dr. Rose I think enjoyed them the most.  They were very salty.

Matt Eating Periwinkles

Matt Eating Periwinkles

Matt Eating Periwinkles

After a short 30 minute drive we arrived at the Cliffs.  We spent just under three hours but it was defiantly not enough.  I think we walked over 4 miles this day which was only a third of the total walking path.  Some of us were much braver then others (kudos to Tammy and Jason for really pushing the envelope of being fearless).  The pictures do not even do this place justice.  It was simply beautiful - a once in a lifetime experience.  We were all exhausted but the day was not even close to being over!

We ended our day at another castle where we enjoyed a fabulous Medieval dinner with outstanding entertainment.  There were about 125 people who attended this dinner but amazingly enough, Lord Matt and Lady Emily were chosen as two of the eight royal guests.  Lord Mike was also deemed a prisoner who had to sing for his freedom (otherwise his ears would be cut off)!  The food was great, the singing and dancing was wonderful, and the over all experience was an outstanding way to bring the trip to a close.

It took about 45 minutes to return to the hotel where most of us quickly packed up and headed to bed.  We will be headed to Dublin in the morning!

Sharry Bain 6/8/2015

Today we got off to an early start; we took the “short bus” from Limerick to Dublin. Once we got to Dublin, we checked into the Jurys Inn Hotel. In the lobby of the hotel we held two staff rides: the first on David Norris by Chelsea & Emily, and the second on Mairead Maguire by Dagmar & Sharry. We passed the beautiful Dublin Castle on the way to Trinity College.

Trinity College was established in 1592 and is Ireland’s oldest university with Protestant (Anglican) heritage. While touring Trinity College, Tammy & Valerie gave their staff ride about Mary Robinson. We then headed to the Trinity College Library for a tour on the Book of Kells. The Library of Trinity College is a legal deposit library for Ireland and the United Kingdom, containing over 4.5 million printed volumes and significant quantities of manuscripts (including the Book of Kells), maps and music. The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) together with various prefatory texts and tables.

The Library at Trinity College Dublin

Trinity College Dublin

Trinity College Dublin

After the tour of the Book of Kells, we had free time. Some of us went shopping and site seeing and others went to tour the Guinness Factory and became “certified” to pour Guinness. The day ended with a Farewell Dinner at the Brazen Head (the oldest pub in Ireland, established in 1198) with good food, lots of laughter and great people.

Farewell Dinner at the Brazen Head

This was truly an unforgettable and mind-opening experience.

“Live without regrets. Learn without borders.”

Sharry

Diane Hawes 6/6/2015

This morning, after a night of rest and packing, we ended our stay in Cork and began our next journey to Limerick.  Once aboard the small bus driven by Tony, we realized that it would be so much nicer if he would be able to take us all the way to Limerick rather than us having to take the train.  After a few phone calls it was determined that Tony was our man and he would be taking us right to our new digs in Limerick.

Once in Limerick the girls received some much appreciated assistance from the men in our group who helped us lug our heavy bags up 3 flights of stairs to our new accommodations. 

Then we began our journey through Limerick by traveling to the Hunt Museum where we were treated to a tour of the museum by Shamus (which we found out is Irish for “James”)  After an enjoyable pass through the museum we had a bite of lunch at the Hunt Café.  Mine was fabulous!

Shamus, our tour guide at the Hunt Museum

Lunch at the Hunt Cafe

After lunch we took a short walk to St Mary’s Cathedral where Nan presented a very interesting Staff Ride full of information. 

From the cathedral we walked to St John’s Castle.  At this location we found there to be a lot of things available to us to actively interact with various parts of history.  Upon entry everyone got into the mood by having some pictures taken of them at the soldier and Viking outfits awaiting us when we entered.  Matt, Nan and Jenn dressed in period cloths for a few fun photos as we walked throughout the castle.  Diane and Emily found their way to the cannons and proceeded to have some target practice.

At the castle staff ride information was presented by Shelly, Matt, and Mike.  The information they provided generated a great deal of interaction among all of the class mates and provided an opportunity for us to discuss a lot of various leadership traits and methods of leading…..both good and bad.

After passing through the main building we entered the main interior of the castle which overlooks the Shannon River.  Replicas of a smith shop, the mint, a chapel, and a mason shop were there for us to see.  Everyone climbed the stairs to the top of the castle walls where we could look out over the city and the river.  Of course, we all had to have photos taken and we had to take photos of one another!

One of the men portraying a soldier was more than happy to share with us his stories of the events that had occurred at the caste over the years. 

Once our journey through the castle had ended we made our way back past St Mary’s Cathedral and to a local pub called the Locke Gastro Pub where we ate dinner.

A great way to begin our stay in Limerick…can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring!!

Jason Wang 6/6/2015

Today we visited the St Mary's (also known as Limerick Cathedral), is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Limerick city, Ireland which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.

Limerick Cathedral (St Mary's) is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary was founded in 1168 and is the oldest building in Limerick which is in daily use. It has the only complete set of misericords left in Ireland.

In 1111, the Synod of Ráth Breasail decided that "St. Mary's church" would become the cathedral church of the Diocese of Limerick. According to tradition, Domnall Mór Ua Briain, the last King of Munster founded the present cathedral on the site of his palace on King's Island in 1168. The palace had been built on the site of the Viking meeting place, or "Thingmote" – the Vikings' most westerly European stronghold. This had been the center of government in the early medieval Viking city. Parts of the palace may be incorporated into the present structure of the cathedral, most prominently the great West Door, which tradition claims was the original main entrance to the royal palace. The West Door is now only used on ceremonial occasions. The Bishops of Limerick have for centuries knocked on this door and entered by it as part of their installation ceremony. According to tradition, during the many sieges of Limerick the defenders of the City used the stones around the West Door to sharpen their swords and arrows, and the marks they made in the stonework can be seen there today.

Valerie Casey 6/4/2015

Today is the second day of the Conference! The sun is shining and the short walk to the University College Cork will be a pleasant trip.  Sunset occurred at 9:46 p.m. last night and it was daylight when the alarm sounded at 6:00 a.m so it feels as if the sun never sets in Ireland! We will need plenty of daylight to accomplish all we have planned today!

We students are getting into a rhythm and met at the local café for a quick breakfast before we headed to the Conference. This morning we were first greeted by Steven with Paddywagon tours who guided us on the tour of the Kerry road. It’s so nice to see a familiar face within the local community to share stories and greetings!

Matthew, Nan, and Valerie with a presenter at UFHRD 2015

For the Conference, everyone chose breakout sessions to attend and will prepare  reports on them to share with the other students. All of us will attend the Keynote talks. This morning's speaker, Michael Morley with the University of Limerick, welcomed us with a traditional Irish greeting loosely translated as, “welcome and 20,000 welcomes among us”, which seems fitting for the hospitable way we have been treated during our visit! Tonight, after a full day of talks we are off to Ballymaloe House for dinner entertainment and dancing! 

The group getting ready to go to Ballymaloe House!

Tammy Albers 6/3/2015

Today marked the beginning of the conference, our journey began with a short walk to the conference center.  We went through registration, got our name tags and our conference schedule.  The group attended a Doctoral colloquium and then carved out time to review the conference schedule and determine sessions that we were interested in.  The group signed up for individual sessions and a variety of topics were chosen.  

After lunch we listened to a great presentation from the Keynote Speaker, Professor Sandra Robinson, on trust in the workplace.  She presented her research that really made you think about what happens when trust is broken in the workplace and how to repair it.    

Dr. Ronan Carbery and his team have put great effort into the planning of this event.  I conducted an informal interview with two staff members and two student volunteers to find out about the event and how the planning started. Planning for the conference started last October with details being finalized up to the last minute this morning.  They indicated that they were proud that this is only the second time it has been held in Ireland.  They also informed me that it is the most attended conference to date with 350 attendees.
  
We finished our day with a wonderful meal of Fish and Chips.  Excited to see what tomorrow brings!

Tammy Albers

Mike Barbieri 6/2/2015

Today was a good day.  Not for one specific reason, but for many.  Today I was able to witness and enjoy the company and comradery of my classmates.  We toured the campus of an honored educational institution, the University College Cork, Ireland.  The history and tradition were readily visible everywhere you turned, from the celebration of the birth of George Boole, to the statue of Finn Barr atop the peak of the college, to the stained glass windows of the chapel created by Harry Clark we were all given inspiration by the creativity and craftsmanship that was put into the architectural design of the college.  It is amazing to hear the stories of how this college, county, and country have adapted and evolved through the many centuries that is has existed.  To hear such depth of history really puts things into perspective when you are from a country that is a mere 240 years old.  The appreciation that the Irish people have for their country’s history is impressive and it is a joy to see them express themselves as they share it.

We followed up our tour with an amazing interaction with Mr. Mark Sheehan, HR Manager for EMC; a global business partner.  His knowledge of the HR field is only surpassed by his passion for his work.  It was a truly beneficial meeting and I am sure that everyone attending gleaned something from it that will assist them in their careers.

Following a short break for tea and cakes, we proceeded to the City Centre to meet with Dr. Collette Kelleher, the CEO of the COPE Foundation.  What an amazing organization.  I recommend that you check out what they are doing to incorporate those with special needs back into society as fully contributing members.  The work they are doing is incredible and is paying large dividends in supporting the community and the personnel within it.

http://www.cope-foundation.ie/

We finished up the evening with a team building event at the Franciscan Well, which was hosted by the staff at UCC.  It was great to meet and bond with colleagues from Georgetown, and George Washington University as we shared our experiences thus far.  I look forward to what the remainder of the trip will provide.

The Ring of Kerry- Shelly Gardner 6/1/15

We drove through Killorglin, in County Kerry, where every August 10, a three-day festival commences celebrating Aonach an Phoic, meaning "Fair of the He-Goat". Poc is Irish for male goat. Consequently, the festival is named the Puck Fair, with the King Puck (King Goat) regally presiding over the festivities.

We traveled to the Ring of Kerry on Monday. It was one of the most beautiful areas I've ever visited, even in the pouring down rain!

The Ring of Kerry is a 179 kilometer-long circular drive in County Kerry, located in the southwestern part of Ireland. It starts in Killarney, and following the coast, winds its way through towns such as Sneem, Waterville, and Cahersiveen. The views of the Atlantic smashing into the boulders and beach, white foam and spray flying in all directions, were breathtaking.

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As we drove through Killarney National Park, we stopped at the Ladies' View, a scenic point where Queen Victoria's Ladies-in-Waiting were said to have taken in the sights. According to our charming tour guide Steven, Queen Victoria sent her ladies to visit the area (as she seemingly couldn't be bothered!) The ladies were utterly charmed by the scenery, proclaiming it a 'view for a lady', and the name stuck.

We also visited Torc Waterfall, a gorgeous, tumbling fury of water on that rainy day, tucked away within the lush greenery of the mountain-side. In that same area, we saw wild goats and deer, munching their lunches as we passed. We saw many multi-colored sheep, shaggy cows, and lots of new lambs and calves running around their mamas.

Dagmar at Torc Waterfall

I remain amazed that our full-sized tour bus could maneuver some of those roads and curves; they seemed the width of a Mini-Cooper in some places! To alleviate traffic jams, the buses navigated along a counter-clockwise route, where passenger cars traveled clockwise.

As you might imagine, the 12-hour day was jam-packed with learning, fun, and great entertainment. If you get the opportunity to travel the Ring of Kerry, do not hesitate. Add it to your bucket list now!

The group at Ladies View-Ring of Kerry

Tammy Mike, Emily, Dr. Herd, and Chelsea at the Torc Waterfall-Ring of Kerry

Matt Van Thyne 5/31/2015

We made it! After a nice seven hour flight across the pond we arrived in Dublin at 7 AM ready to explore Ireland. The bus ride from the Dublin airport to the Heuston train station was a quick tour of the city. The architecture is amazing in Dublin with a mix of historic cobblestone and modern buildings. Before we left Dublin we were able to snap a few shots of the Guinness brewery, toothpick, and the train station.

Bus Ride from Dublin Airport to Heuston Train Station

We set off on another journey from Heuston train station to Cork exploring through the Irish countryside at 10 AM. Everything is green! We arrived at Cork around 1230 PM after our nice train ride. Some of us rested up for the night and a few of us explored Cork.

For the evening we took a short train ride to Cobh which was the last port call for the Titanic. We visited a cathedral with incredible architecture and detail. We were able to link up with the other study abroad group for dinner at Trade Winds which was great to have everyone in the same place! Finally we set back to Cork for a good night’s rest.

Headed to dinner in Cobh!

Sláinte!

-Matt Van Thyne

Next Stop, Dublin! 5/30/2015

Our 10-hour layover in Newark is coming to an end, and we will soon board the plane for Dublin!  Although we were all exhausted and sleep-deprived when we got off the plane, we took advantage of our time in the airport and went over the itinerary for our trip, expectations of the course, and had a great discussion about what it means to be a global leader. 

One of my major takeaways from our discussion is that it is vital to this trip and our development as international leaders that we understand our own cultural preferences and biases and keep an open mind when interacting with people from other cultures.  Otherwise, it is easy to misinterpret behavior and view a simple miscommunication as rudeness or disagreement. Dr. Herd and Dr. Rose have challenged each of us to talk with the people we meet in Ireland about global leadership and to ask them what they have learned about different cultures in their travels.  I am so excited to meet new people and hear about their thoughts on international leadership!  

-Chelsea McKendree

Emily Griffin 5/30/15

Waking up at 4am was all but fun! However, the fun to come will sure be well worth it!  As I headed out this morning, I made sure everything was packed—especially the essentials: passport, i.d., and UofL student i.d.  Groggy eyed, I found myself at the airport.  I was the first one there and a little hesitant because I had only found out two short weeks ago that I was going on this trip! I had no idea who was coming, but luckily I knew two people!  As we waited to depart, we discussed where we are from and who we are.  It was apparent that we are all very different.  Some of us are older, younger, military, non-military, married, married with children, single, in a relationship, etc.  It was really neat to see a group of students connect so fast! It only makes me excited for the days to come!

We boarded our first plan to Newark a little late.  However, we still made it on time! The flight was very smooth and we reached our destination safely.  When we landed, we found seats in the food court and all went to find breakfast.  The airport is pretty large and pretty expensive.  We sat down and begin discussing the syllabus.  All of the events that are planned look very exciting and historical. 

We decided to have class time since we had such a long layover.  We discussed global leadership in depth.  We talked about how we see ourselves by taking somewhat of a self-reflection survey of who we are.  We looked at 17 different cultural dimensions and rated how we felt towards the phrases.  It was really neat to see how we are alike and different.  Professor Herd wanted us to dig deep into these dimensions and compare dimensions along the board.  I really enjoyed the discussion we had about how we would have to approach leadership globally. 

I am excited to see where the rest of this trip takes me and what cultural leadership dimensions I will learn along the way!

-Emily Griffin

Dagmar Hilsher 5/29/2015

May 29^th, 2015

The last day at home - tomorrow is departure day, the day we embark on our journey to Ireland. It is so exciting to travel in a group that is diverse in itself to learn about different cultures and to experience beautiful and fascinating Ireland. What better opportunity to learn about Leadership Development Across Cultures than a situation where we all are immersed in the exact situation being discussed.

However, all of that will start tomorrow; today the focus is on getting ready and making sure one is prepared. According to the 10-day forecast on my cell phone we are going to be very lucky with the weather. Only one day of rain in sight, the rest is just wind, sunshine and some clouds. Temperatures are going to be between 51 and 63 F. Still, the weather can change quickly and it is better to be prepared. The packing list should definitely include rain protection and leave some flexibility in clothing. Most importantly, the study materials need to be packed to where they are accessible during our long layover in Newark. After a lot of evaluating and deciding what should be packed, what needs to be in the carry-on bag, and what can be packed in the suitcase the luggage is now finally ready for departure. To avoid running late I decided to check in already so that I will have to only drop off my suitcase tomorrow morning. A last check ensures that all the important paperwork is readily available. The passport is packed, accessible, valid, and my own. The boarding passes are right there with it, together with all itineraries. Now I can relax, spend some last hours with my family and try to get some sleep, it will be a short night. The alarm clock is set for 3 A.M. and I can hardly wait…

Attending the UFHRD 2015 Conference in Ireland--Meet our team!

Hello:

A delegation of students and faculty is attending the University Forum on Human Resource Development (UFHRD) 2015 conference that will take place at the University College Cork, in Ireland.  In addition to their conference activities, which includes presentations by faculty and students, the group will also have lectures for the course "Leadership Development Across Cultures."  After the conference, they will travel to Limerick, and then to Dublin as their final stop before returning to Louisville.

Here is our team.  Get to meet them!

Mrs. Tammy Albers

Mr. Nan Wang

Mr. Michael Barbieri

Ms. Sharry Bain

Mr. Matthew Van Thyne

Ms. Dagmar Hilsher

Mrs. Diane Hawes

Ms. Jennifer Crase

Ms. Chelsea McKendree

Ms. Shelley Gardner

Dr. Ann Herd

Dr. Kevin Rose