Simone Spray, Chief Executive of 42nd Street, and previous Weston Charity Award Winner, shares her experience and gives a few words of advice for those of you embarking on the Pilotlight 360, or those who wish to apply in the future.
You don’t need to be in crisis to look for support
When I joined as Chief Executive of 42nd Street I inherited a charity that was working well, had a fantastic staff team, a great reputation and was really delivering for young people. However, there was, and still is, a lot going on externally that impacts on the charity: changes in funding, changes in the NHS, a focus on child and adolescent mental health and, of course, devolution for Greater Manchester. We had a lot to respond to and we needed to develop as a charity sensitively and in a measured and appropriate way. That development needed to come from within 42nd Street but I felt it had to be tested and critiqued by an external objective team, hence Pilotlight.
Buy into it and don’t try to impress anyone
You get out of the programme what you put in. If you’re doing it, you need to buy into it from the start and get members of your team on board. For me that was the Executive and Senior Management Team and the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board. Beware that the support is time-limited so you need to make the most of the time: get stuck in straight away and don’t try to impress anyone. Talk about what is working but don’t be afraid to talk about what isn’t, or what could be better, or whatever you’re just not quite sure about.
One of my favourite moments was when the Pilotlight team visited us in Manchester. We made sure they got a real feel of 42nd Street, not just all the good bits, but spoke to staff who were encouraged to be honest about things that weren’t working, as well as those that were. We also set up a meeting with young people who were so amazing. At the end of the day everyone involved felt a bit more informed and somehow closer to the charity. It was a real eye-opener.
Make the most of the time you have
Always preparing for the meetings has been critical. They go by in a flash and it would be very easy to feel they were just getting started as you finish unless you prepare and think about what you want to get out of them beforehand.
We had to travel from Manchester to London for our monthly meetings, but the travel was actually a good thing, it created space and focus. Although the meetings themselves are quite short (1 hour 45 minutes), it is incredible how much you get out of them. The level of challenge, support and forward thinking I got in my short meetings would take a month of normal meetings and probably wouldn’t get you to the same place even then.
Something about trust
The trust that we built with our Pilotlight team has been key to what made it such a great process for us. Developing a strong relationship with your Pilotlight Project Manager (mine was amazing!) is also critical.
The other thing to do is listen. The advice isn’t always spot on, but it often makes you think about a situation in a different way because of the expertise in the room. It’s worth listening and being open-minded. I learnt loads from my Pilotlighters and really came to enjoy the challenges they presented me with.
Finally, trust yourself, don’t be intimidated, you are an expert too. The programme was invaluable for me as a leader. I was getting to know the charity and my team, and being able to discuss things so openly and professionally helped me to consolidate my thoughts and feel confident. It was helpful in the specific leadership position I found myself in, but also tested my wider leadership skills. On top of a very tangible legacy left by the programme – a new 5 year business plan, including a new mission, social objectives, business objectives and narrative – I feel more confident now.