Think day on aligning work with university vision

When I did my University Teaching Qualification, we briefly looked at the vision of TU Delft on education. Since then, I have wanted to take a deeper dive into the vision and mission of the university, and reflect on what this means for my work and research.

So, I designed a think day around the topic with ChatGPT. After some back and forth, these are the activities and prompts we settled on. I’m sharing it here in case you’d want to repeat the exercise.

Topic: TU Delft’s Vision and Aligning My Work and Team Interactions

1. Setting the Scene

Purpose: Ground yourself in TU Delft’s vision and mission.

Activity: Briefly review TU Delft’s vision, mission, and values.

Vision: “TU Delft contributes to solving complex and urgent societal challenges through the education of highly qualified engineers who are creative, innovative, and responsible.”
Mission: Conduct research at a world-class level, educate reputable engineers, and develop technology-based innovations for societal challenges.
Values: Diversity, Integrity, Respect, Engagement, Courage, Trust.

Reflection Prompt:

What part of TU Delft’s mission or vision do I feel most connected to?
Which core value resonates most with my professional ethos? Why?

2. Personal Reflection

Purpose: Assess how your work aligns with TU Delft’s mission and values.

Activity: Write your thoughts on the following prompts:

How does my work contribute to TU Delft’s societal impact goals (e.g., sustainability, innovation, fostering entrepreneurship)?
Are there areas where my work diverges from or could better align with the university’s values?
Which aspects of TU Delft’s vision inspire me most? How can I integrate those into my daily practice?
What are my unique strengths in contributing to TU Delft’s goals?

3. Team Alignment Reflection

Purpose: Explore how to foster better alignment and collaboration within your team.

Activity: Reflect on your team’s dynamics and interactions.

Do my team’s goals and practices align with TU Delft’s vision and values?
What role do I play in fostering trust, diversity, and collaboration within my team?
How can I encourage my team to prioritize sustainability, innovation, or societal engagement more effectively?
What specific action can I take to inspire my team to embody TU Delft’s values?

4. Action Planning

Purpose: Develop actionable goals for alignment.

Activity: Use the following table to structure your goals:

Goal	Steps to Achieve	Timeline	Metrics for Success
Example: Review research focus to reflect societal impact priorities.	Review current projects, identify gaps, propose adjustments.	End of Quarter	Revised research agenda submitted.

Reflection Prompts:

What is one concrete step I can take to align my work more closely with TU Delft’s mission?
What is one habit or practice I can adopt to foster alignment and collaboration within my team?
How will I measure progress and hold myself accountable for these changes?

5. Closing Reflection

Purpose: Summarize your insights and set intentions.

Activity:

Write down one word or phrase that captures your feelings after the session.
Write a single sentence summarizing your main takeaway.
Make a commitment to revisit this reflection in one month to track progress.

Motivational Quote:
“We conduct research at a world-class level by combining groundbreaking science, pioneering technologies, and human-centered designs in a socially responsible manner.”

Additional Notes:

Use this template as a repeatable framework for future think days.
Document your reflections and action plans in a dedicated notebook or digital journal for easy follow-up.

Share with your peers!