INTERVIEW
out to all the introverts out there in L&D roles. One of my old bosses bought me the book Quiet by Susan Cain to show that he understood and valued my contribution. She says that introverts are not shy or unsociable they are just very highly tuned to the world around them and so need time and space alone to process their thoughts – and she also says that introverts make the best leaders because they are natural listeners!
What has been your lowest moment, and what your noblest hour?
One moment that I will treasure is reading the leaving (thank you) card I got from my team when I worked at a national charity. In it there were two quotes particularly poignant:
“Great leaders leave a legacy and I am proud to have been part of yours”
“You always thought I was capable of more than I believed I was, thank you”
My lowest moment, gosh that’s hard, I tend to be quite a positive person, I guess seeing people come out of a development
programme buzzing with enthusiasm for trying new things only to find out later that the organisation has swallowed them back up and stopped that from happening, it’s so sad and frustrating.
All about me
Education: I have an MSc in Organisational Behaviour, a Certifi cate in OD Practice, am MCIPD and have BPS Level B.
Family and location: I live in Hampshire with my partner of 10 years Andy and my partner of 15 years Brams (my cat!)
Hobbies: I absolutely love gardening, apparently it’s also ‘cool’ to be a gardener now. I grow my own fruit and veg as well as fl owers, my project this year is to put in a wildlife pond.
Favourite place: New Zealand – I went there for three weeks a few years ago and it was wonderful, everyone is so relaxed, I came back with FlipFlop tan lines!!
Book: Currently I am reading The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan – I like fantasy and also horror like Stephen King.
Film: I absolutely loved Despicable Me 2, the Lucy character has so many great lines, she’s also a bit odd but ends up the hero.
Music: I am currently listening to The Black Keys but I like all sorts of music; from Kasabian to Duran Duran. I have seen both live.
Technology: Urggh – for me it’s like curry – I know I should like it but I really don’t!
One of my bosses said to me: “You know what I really like about your approach? You bring me solutions not problems”
The other thing that really makes me angry is people in positions of power using that to make others feel small. One thing I always discuss on my leadership development programmes is the enormous power leaders have over their teams and the huge responsibility which comes with that.
What and when was your career turning point?
My second role for a small banking organisation made me realise what I could achieve with just passion and drive. They took a real risk in appointing me to a very senior role with no training experience whatsoever because they thought I was ‘feisty’! From nothing we achieved IiP in less than 18 months. From that experience I became determined to make a real difference everywhere I went, to have a lasting impact on the organisation and its people, even if it meant challenging the establishment and being a bit unpopular.
Describe your best learning and development experience?
It would have to be doing my Certificate in OD practice at Roffey Park. I learnt a lot about OD, but also about myself too. The assessment process was peer review which I really liked, it was supportive but we really did challenge each other too, it wasn’t easy. We were a group of six and had a fantastic learning journey together, we still meet regularly and ask each other’s advice on sticky situations. It’s wonderful to have such a great professional network – we always bring different perspectives to everything. Thinking back, there are two things early in
my career which still stick with me today. The first was when I was pitching a new performance management system to my manager and I launched into a long speech about it, he listened patiently and then said to me: “Next time ask
10
September 2015
www.trainingjournal.com
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