Away from the day job

Posted by: Wendy MacMillan - Posted on:

The NHS graduate scheme sets you up for a challenging, non-stop day job but also provides the tools and opportunities to develop yourself as a sustainable and transformational leader ready to drive change across the system.

Recently, I used my ‘golden ticket’ of opportunities to attend an Inclusion Summit for Forward Thinking Leadership. Their main aim is to ‘develop inclusive leaders today to deliver an NHS and communities for tomorrow’.

It is so important to realise that we need to force ourselves outside our ‘norm’ to really develop and see the issues we face as an organisation. It’s equally important to surround yourself with other passionate people, outside our normal network of colleagues to really push ourselves to think differently, or at the very least ask a few extra questions each day to increase our understanding.

The line-up of speakers were fantastic, I aspire to be as flawless at public speaking and storytelling as they were (they always make it look so effortless!). There was a variety of clinicians and managers in attendance, with topics including; coaching, inclusive talent, discovering values and unconscious bias.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a place on the graduate scheme then make the most of these types of events, they can really make a big difference to your everyday interactions.

Here are a few things I took away from the event:

  • Be cautious of values we hold which rely on recognition from others and accept that not everyone will meet your personal values.
  • We all suffer from unconscious bias, the brain is a machine for jumping to conclusions and we need to train it differently.
  • Live in a hierarchy of equals and listen as if your life depended on it!

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Alert: Applications are now closed for 2024 entry