Thursday 21 January 2016

Every January........

Every January I try to resurrect this blog, and every year I seem to fail miserably!  I blame life on getting in the way which may be a good thing!  So yet another attempt this year.  Blogger won't let me change the header photo at the moment. Very annoying.
My motivation for this post is the staff conference I've just been to.
 Aim Higher!  #towardsinclusion.
It was buzzing. From the start. The background staff that keep our NHS trust
 running needed this, hopefully the first of maybe an annual event?
   It was good to catch up with colleagues from other sites & to gain an insight into what other departments do.  More than that it was a roomful of people with a desire to build & improve upon the new & existing exciting things that are planned / already happening.

Our Chief Exec opened with positive feedback & plans for the future for our staff to "Flourish", closely followed by our Chief Operating Officer who certainly seems to know what it's all about - for all of the staff not just the clinicians that hit the press.
Our Finance director almost had all of us on our feet dancing!  Black eyed Peas - I've gotta feeling.  Oprah Winfrey in Chicago.  Now that's how you get attention!  However the message was clear, the flash mob dance started with one & ended with them all dancing together.  That's how we need to work - together.

Our key note speaker was Leo Houlding - climber & adventurer.  His journey from planning to leading a successful attempt on an unclimbed route on the granite tower of Ulvetanna in Antartica.  Wow. Wow. Wow.

What stood out to me were the attributes of self. Self determination. Self Reliance. Own choice. Own challenge.  Multiplied by the men that went with him who he was ultimately responsible for.
It was as much about the journey as the destination & his leadership skills.

Most of all the simply facts that planning is key from the bottom (in this case base layer clothing, attention to minute detail - will the zip fail, what will happen if it does, possible death due to weather conditions - & "toilet bags") to the outer wear & the top of the mountain.  And then back down again (& removing the "toilet bags").  You leave absolutely nothing behind in these places!
All eventualities MUST be planned for - think risk assessments & then more risk assessments.

Then when you start the journey, break it into manageable steps.  Use the teams individual skills to form a cohesive bond that can adapt & react to changing circumstances.  Be the leader, be open to change, don't ask your team to do something you won't do yourself.  But be mindful & respect their feelings & skills.

So the title of the conference Aim Higher was apt.  From Leo Houlding's ascent of Ulvetanna to us individuals who keep the lights on & other things in our hospitals.  We need to grasp the new wave of initiatives & move with them, nurturing & improving upon them as a team.  Because if we put our minds to it WE CAN DO IT!

Now I just have to apply all that to my own life - lose weight, exercise more etc. etc.
I've started.  Last Sunday I pledged to #walk1000miles with Country Walking magazine, slightly easier that 10000 steps a day.  Although I would like to achieve that as well.  It won't happen today - been sat on my backside for most of it with only the dog to walk later in the rain & dark.  And it has to be said the Castle Green Conference Centre buffet was rather good.

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