Working at a strategic level in the public sector sometimes feels like I’m far removed from “real people”. I volunteered for Pilotlight as part of my Fast Track management development programme that Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership offered me. Coaching and mentoring were part of my personal development plan, and tackling inequalities by developing and building supportive relationships with practical outcomes has always driven and energised me. This is something I often discuss with my own coach, and Pilotlight sounded like a fantastic opportunity for me to develop, share my skills and make a real difference.
I already had a good understanding of the voluntary sector as I worked for 21 years within the Health Promotion/Health Improvement division of the NHS. I’ve worked alongside many organisations and partnerships, developing business plans and funding bids. I currently commission and contract managing services and hoped I could bring all my expertise to Pilotlight. My first project was with Women’s Aid East and Midlothian (WAEML), working with the CEO Julie Watson, and we spent significant time learning about the charity and understanding the service user journey. This became a touchstone when considering the many questions and issues we worked through during the project. My fellow Pilotlighters all came from very different backgrounds and having such a diverse team was a real strength. We were all able to share our knowledge and experiences and not only learned about WAEML but also about different ways of approaching issues.
Dedicating time out to work through the Pilotlight 360 was something I always looked forward to. Having space to focus and work through issues over a period of months allowed for creative thinking and learning along the way. The process whilst loosely structured was not linear and we moved in, out and around some issues a number of times before reaching an agreed way forward or parking an issue. This felt like a healthy way to do business – not being driven to quick conclusions allowed for more robust outcomes and also gave time for the buy-in required from the Board and staff to consider our recommendations.
Seeing Julie develop and grow in confidence was uplifting. She worked incredibly hard and was very open and trusting even when we asked questions and challenged her. WAEML is now in a much stronger position having participated in the Pilotlight 360, and is better equipped to deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead. I was sorry to reach the end of the project. At a time when my work sometimes feels full of challenge, Pilotlight provided an opportunity for me to actually see the difference I make. It energised me greatly and I was able to come back to my day job refreshed and more focused.
What Pilotlight offers is an amazing opportunity for learning and developing alongside sharing your own skills and knowledge. The complexity of the NHS and Health and Social Care Partnerships can be mystifying to those of us who work in it at times, so being able to unpick that for others to some degree, and help them see where we can work better together, feels incredibly important at this point in time. I had a wonderful experience, and would happily recommend it to anyone.
