Discovering the power of working cross-department
If you’ve spent any time on the Trinity Summer Hill Campus, it’s likely that you’ve crossed paths with Luke Gray at least once. He’s known throughout the School as someone who is wearing multiple hats, always up for a professional challenge. We’re not exaggerating – currently, Mr Gray holds each of these roles:
- Geography teacher (2008 – present)
- Director of Football (2014 – present)
- Acting Activities Master (2022)
- Cricket Coach (2008 – present)
While each of these roles are current, he has also held the following positions within the last year:
- 1st XI Football Coach (2012-2021)
- Acting Director of Campus Administration (Term 4 2021)
The glaring question for anyone looking at Mr Gray’s workload right now is … why? Most people are looking to take things off their plate, not pile more things on – but Mr Gray has a different outlook, one that sees him seizing opportunities in the Football off-season or taking up acting positions when other staff go on long service leave.
“I enjoy the challenge of understanding the goal of each department, understanding who the people are, and understanding how they all work together towards achieving an objective,” he says. “I enjoy seeing how other parts of the School work.”
He doesn’t deny that it takes discipline and plenty of planning to avoid getting overwhelmed and he has several strategies to make sure he stays on top of it all, including:
- Creating a yearly periodised plan
- Collaborating during tasks
- Mapping a path back from task objectives
- Breaking up those systems / paths into smaller tasks
- Reflecting daily on priorities
With weekend sporting games, multiple departments, and plenty of time teaching in the classroom, Mr Gray relies on these strategies to stay focused no matter which hat he happens to have on at any given moment. He also heavily relies on the support of Trinity’s IT equipment / software, IT / EA Support, and regular check in meetings with line managers and colleagues who lead groups within Co-curricular Activities and Football. All of this together ensures he can continue giving his best in his numerous roles.
Many would wonder whether Mr Gray is spreading himself a bit too thin, but he thrives on the challenge, relishing opportunities to expand his knowledge, learn new skills, and test the skills he’s already nurtured in different roles with more scale and complexity.
“If a role interests you and there’s an opportunity to try it out, I would encourage anyone to give it a go,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity to learn new ideas and understand how each area of the School works and impacts other areas of the School.”
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