Reconnecting

This website and the No Jedi emails have been going for a while now I thought a perfect time to stop and reconnect with the growing number of you that I write to each week and those who visit the website. I’m letting you know why I do what I do and where the ideas come from. 

Cutting to the chase as to why I write the emails every week then. Whether you are in healthcare (or not), or in a formal leadership role (or not) it can be a tough job at times. Showing up in the face of uncertainty, shifting expectations and resource constraints takes effort. I write so you know you're not alone and so you can consider possibilities. 

I've written a little in the past as to how this all came about: a decision to either smile at people with sympathy for what they'd just stepped into (the job I had just left) or help them a little. It started with a couple of ideas, and tips on things that helped me when I started. I then added book recommendations, or TED talks, and then it kind of became a thing. 

Teaching myself the whole email set-up and the website design was another way for me to stretch myself and learn. A little bit of grit and a lot of experimenting, constant tweaking and always with a list of ideas as to what's next. I've listened to the feedback from you, those who kindly email and let me know what's working or made a difference. You've given me ideas from two surveys and that helps set me up with a direction of travel for the topics I explore or write about. I never wonder 'what shall I write about this week'. Of note, I also never think of this as work. The reading, learning, collating, condensing and the writing bring me energy and I love it. The 'leadership' thing is a centrepiece of my work, and I've presented at conferences and been interviewed on podcasts. The latest one from a social media connection was released this week. Anthony is a young nurse who set up a podcast during the lockdown and he interviewed me as part of a series on leadership, take a listen here. Apparently, the magic of my leadership skill is captured in the podcast according to a comment on my Facebook page.

My career has taken a reasonably traditional course, though I like to switch it up from time to time. Cardiology was my starting point and where I stayed for about 20 years. I've worked in clinical expertise roles and people leadership roles in two countries, moving from the UK to New Zealand in 2008. Keen for a step up, I found myself in a service manager role for a number of surgical services, having no idea what a service manager did or having worked in surgery since I was a student nurse - a steep learning curve doesn't even come close. A quality role came next, back into a nursing role and staying in surgery - expanding to all the adult surgical teams in the hospital. In this role, I really connected the importance of how teams work together with patient safety and was able to include coaching and teamwork in the work I did. Next up was Nurse Director, again in surgery and leading a team of leaders who had a wide span of people. It had strategic and operational components alongside people development plus quality and safety responsibilities. Then COVID-19 and all bets have been off. I worked at Auckland International Airport and established a team and the health screening processes (that changed frequently) right at the start of the COVID-19 response. Then back to the hospital setting and another opportunity this time in the Quality, Safety and Risk Service. The quality components of my career keep on coming back to me - the very first course I did after qualifying was 'Quality Standards Development' (I designed a chest pain assessment tool and a standard for us to assess and document chest pain in our patients). My about page gives you more of my story and more pictures.

I studied pretty consistently while in the UK. Qualifying with a certificate and hospital training, I did a postgraduate diploma and then a Masters's in Cardiology followed by adding nurse prescribing to my kit. In New Zealand, I've taken a different tack and enjoyed courses from the IHI and Jumpshift while also getting training in project improvement, coaching and really reading loads. The huge thing for 2021 is the amazing privilege to be part of the Global Women Breakthrough Leaders programme.

Along the way, I have had a physical fall and suffered a concussion which gave me a big jolt and a moment of pause. The struggle with identity when I wasn't in my role for a period of time was significant and a story all on its own. When we talk about life-work balance we are really asking who are we and why we do what we do. My concussion forced those questions front and centre and my focus has been very different since that point. COVID-19 then came along and impacted us all in ways that we don't even fully understand yet. It shifted many things about how we connect, work and travel, what we took for granted changed. While the phrase, 'new normal' was becoming common language, a very unexpected new normal occurred for me. My partner, Adam, also a nurse, was diagnosed with cancer. Now on the receiving end of care and treatment, I know that how I work with teams and the topics I've been writing about are important and do matter. We talk about giving good care, from concussions to cancer it's clear, that care is something you receive and the little things make a difference. You can keep up with where I'm all with all these things on the Now page, which gets a regular refresh and update. 

I write because with 30 years of working in healthcare in a range of roles I've learnt a thing or two, been knocked down several times and I keep getting back up. I want to share some of the tips for getting back up and maybe make any fall a little softer.

If you are in this for the long game (that's what it is) you will fall and fail at times. That comes from effort, throwing yourself at something you care about and taking a risk for a possible good outcome. I've learnt so much from my mistakes, failing and falling. They are great moments to reflect, consider things, regroup, reassess and try again.  

I write then because I believe this matters. The world we live in and how we feel safe and well in that world is what we all hang onto. Your part in that world matters and you can make a difference for those around you, those you work with, those you lead and the communities you serve. 

So that is why I'm here each week, the website is growing along with the tribe subscribers to No Jedi and I'd love to hear your story and why this matters to you.