Innov8: Accelerate Programme Review

Innov8

Accelerate Programme Review

Contents

3

Foreword

4

What is Accelerate?

5

Facilitators

6

Case studies

6

– Scott Bell

8

– Christeen Birch

10

– Sarah Boorman

12

– Debbie Bottomley

15

– Caroline Drake

17

– Amy Dunmall

18

– Zahida Mallard

20

– Michelle Sheppard

22

– Gordon Smith

24

– Kirstie Stott

26

– Louise Sutton

28

– Jillian Taylor

31

– Dawn Walton

33

– Chris Watt

Foreword Dear Reader,

F

or the last five years we have offered a highly successful leadership development programme called Accelerate, designed to accelerate the leadership journey and career progression of junior to mid-level managers and clinicians.

This opportunity was commissioned and funded by Innov8 to foster leadership development that focused on inclusive leadership skills and values that would deliver benefits to the participant, their colleagues and their patients and service users.

From the first cohort back in 2010 much has changed in the NHS and it is now time to review what the programme has achieved and what options we have for the future. Does Accelerate remain relevant, proportionate and effective? Is it possible for organisations and teams to invest in the same way they have done over past years? How do the aims of Accelerate fit in the wider priorities of professional development at a national, regional and local level?

Although we know the programme evaluates extremely well each time, this year, with the programme contract coming to an end, I wanted to find out what was happening for participants three, four even five years later. These short personal stories have been offered up from previous participants across all cohorts.

In addition to the formal evaluation, we have undertaken and recorded interviews; these stories will help us decide the future of Accelerate.

I hope that these stories will inform you about the ways that the programme has helped participants in the longer term with their Self Leadership, Leadership within Role and Leadership in the wider organisation. Thank you to those that volunteered their time to help us create this brochure.

I hope that these stories will inspire you to learn more about inclusive leadership.

Finally, I want to thank all the participants of Accelerate over the past five years for the difference you have made to the health, care and well-being of people in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Andrea Overton

Deputy Head of Leadership Yorkshire and the Humber Leadership Academy

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What is Accelerate?

A

ccelerate intends to prepare junior to mid-level NHS employees to be effective, resourceful leaders who are able to promote an NHS that is inclusive of diverse experiences, perspectives and abilities. The programme is designed to work with diversity beyond characteristics such as ethnicity, gender and so on to the diversity of individual themselves, their thinking, feeling and behaviours. With a focus on building personal resourcefulness and resilience, it had the following explicit objectives for participants: • I nfluence improvements in the quality of the services they provide • S upport their colleagues so teams can flourish in a changing and uncertain climate • C ommunicate clearly and influence others to achieve the best they can • B e effective in their role during times of organisational change and with a need to ‘do more with less’ • B e inclusive leaders able to draw on a range of models for understanding and responding to diverse needs for better team performance

The content draws on models, approaches and practical techniques from organisational analysis, management theory, humanistic psychology and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to equip managers with tools to enhance personal resourcefulness, further develop people management skills, and increase leadership effectiveness, in order to promote the best possible care.

Behind the programme is an expectation that participants will not only use what they learn but also share what they learn with others. Every participant is required to document at least five specific examples of how they have applied course content

on each module – so that is at least 700 different practical outcomes per cohort.

Through sharing models and techniques with colleagues (and often family members!) the learning is frequently reinvested and extends beyond the 20–22 people each year.

If you have any comments or questions about Accelerate and want to be involved in deciding the future of the programme please contact: Lucy Scarisbrick Alumni and Engagement Manager lucy.scarisbrick@hee.nhs.uk

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Facilitators Dave Thornton dt@davethornton.org

Dave Thornton works as a successful and sought-after Executive Coach and ‘top team’ developer for a range of organisations across the UK and beyond. He is a qualified Executive Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, MBTI facilitator and author, who has a whole host of leadership experiences under his belt. He is a member of the ‘Windsor Leadership Trust’, works with a number of Royal Colleges and is a faculty member of the NHS Leadership Academy.

His current NHS client list includes coaching senior people from across the system. His team coaching includes boards of specialist mental health services, acute hospitals and CCGs. In addition, he has a small number of commercial clients across various sectors.

Prior to setting up his own development company. Dave worked in a variety of senior environments and held local, regional and national positions within the NHS in a career spanning more than 30 years to date.

He has a long history of being committed to ensuring that there is a diverse representation of people across senior environments of the NHS. Although this has at times been challenging and frustrating, he has always remained committed and enthusiastic, whether as a programme designer, commissioner or hands-on facilitator. He has been proud to team up with Chris Grimsley to work on the Accelerate programme and has seen first-hand as a range of committed healthcare professionals from across Yorkshire and Humber polish their leadership abilities. As a result of this, he is confident that participants increase their personal resourcefulness and are better equipped to improve and develop the wide variety of NHS areas they work in.

Chris Grimsley

chris.grimsley@zen.co.uk Chris is an INLPTA Certified NLP Trainer, and has a Masters degree in Organisational Analysis and Behaviour. He has been involved in training NLP in public services for 20 years, and is passionate about the practical benefits that it can bring, organisationally, managerially, and to service delivery.

The founder and principal trainer of the Instit2te of NLP for Public Service, Chris is acclaimed for making NLP training accessible, understandable and practically useful. He has trained with some of the leading lights from the world of NLP and contributed to its practical adoption in many services.

Liz Morrissey

elizabethmorrissey@hotmail.com Liz is a Clinical Psychologist with 25 years’ experience of NHS working, including seven years as a Senior Manager. Liz is a certified NLP Master Practitioner and an accredited KG hypnobirthing trainer. She currently divides her time between NHS therapy and self-employed NLP life coaching and hypnobirthing.

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Case Study

Scott Bell

Peer Group Recovery and Mutual Aid Coordinator Kirklees Lifeline Project

Accelerate Programme 2015

I

graduated the programme last December and as a graduate that came from outside the NHS I felt a certain privilege and prestige in graduating from Accelerate. It was a journey for me and one where I managed to learn more about myself in a nine-month period than I had in five previous years. I came into Health and Social Care later in my life via various other job and life choices and found things moved very fast for me.

Within a couple of years I had found myself leading on various projects that required leadership skills.

My peers and colleagues always told me I had more than enough leadership skills yet I always looked at leadership as just management alone and passed off my own skills with a lack of confidence and a little embarrassment… I wasn’t the best at accepting a compliment either.

During the programme I felt a lot of change in myself and that change started to seep into my professional life and I started to be able to put a name to the skills that I was learning and tapping into and, given the experiential nature of Accelerate, I was able to utilise the tools on a week by week basis. This gave me the confidence to apply for a new role with some new challenges where I would have to supervise 20+ volunteers and influence a development team for a third-sector drug and alcohol treatment service in West Yorkshire. I am now sat in that role and making it my own as I go forward.

The biggest surprise for me both during and after has been the impact it has had on my self-management. A lot of my identity up to that point was trapped in my life experience as an ex service user of multiple services. I felt I had fluked my way into Health and Social Care and was the service user that got lucky.

Now I don’t even feel that as a lot of the self-management tools, especially around the stages of competence, woke me up to some of my own leadership skills and allowed me to start acknowledging them.

Part of my role involves facilitating training for new volunteers and people in recovery from drugs and alcohol and I have found the self-management tools and techniques around communication are a godsend. They improve the volunteer’s ability to engage with service users within our service and eases their confidence whilst they go about their duties. I have also utilised some of the same tools in supervision and they aided two volunteers’ confidence enough to apply for jobs within the organisation and be successful.

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Case Study

Scott Bell

Peer Group Recovery and Mutual Aid Coordinator Kirklees Lifeline Project

Accelerate Programme 2015

Outside of my professional role I am also confidently ploughing forward with designing a Community Interest Company (CIC) with my friend. We are setting up a training and development organisation and working in partnership with patients and service users to facilitate change within organisations. I wouldn’t have had the confidence or belief to even attempt this if I hadn’t attended Accelerate.

All I will leave this on is Master Yoda (Chris Grimsley) and his favourite…ish saying, ‘Everybody needs a little NLP in their life’.

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Case Study

Christeen Birch

Operations and Finance Manager – NHS Executive Search NHS Leadership Academy

Accelerate Programme 2015

How does your experience compare to what you expected?

Did anything surprise you?

I

always knew that I wanted to do more with my career but I wasn’t sure what, so it was surprising that quite early on in the course I was able to identify a career aspiration and to see with clarity the direction that I wanted to head in. The techniques that I have learned mean I am able to use a variety of ‘tools’ throughout my day, both at work and at home, which help me to deal with all sorts of situations.

How have you changed as a leader?

One of the biggest learning outcomes for me was that I now look at situations more critically from the other person’s perspective.

This has helped me to achieve good working relationships, particularly with the people I line manage. Using the various tools and techniques that we learned on the course has meant that I am more organised at work and I worry less about things that I have no control over.

How did your learning impact on those you lead?

I was so inspired during my time on the course, which enabled me to find the direction I want to go in, that I actively encourage my team to seek out development opportunities to help them achieve their own career goals. My team as a whole have benefited from some of the tools and techniques that I learned such as the urgent/ important matrix and core and choice.

The Alphabet Edit also came in handy at a recent long meeting when energy levels were dipping!

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Case Study

Christeen Birch

Operations and Finance Manager – NHS Executive Search NHS Leadership Academy

Accelerate Programme 2015

Do you do or think differently about patient care as a result of your experiences? How? My current role is very remote to patient care and although I am able to demonstrate how my role impacts on patient care, it has only been through spending time on the course with colleagues who work on the frontline that I have been able to get a better understanding of the challenges (and rewards) that they face. This understanding is key to my aspiration, which is to move from my current role into a hospital setting.

What would you say to someone who is considering taking part?

Go into the course with an open mind and be prepared to discover/rediscover things about yourself. You will meet lots of interesting people who will inspire you with their stories and you will have a lot of fun! Chris, Liz and Dave are excellent facilitators who really know their stuff and will be able to guide and advise you along the way. Enjoy!

Do you have plans for further development?

I am currently working on securing a secondment opportunity in the type of environment that I aspire to work in and I am actively using my networks to help achieve this.

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Case Study

Sarah Boorman

Project Support Officer Health Education England

Accelerate Programme 2015

I

was a bit reluctant about the programme at first, as I wasn’t sure what to expect of it. When I first read the information about the programme it seemed like it was targeted at higher-level/higher-banded staff and so I questioned whether I should be on the programme. However, when I started the programme, by the second day I knew I had made the right choice to attend. Having studied Psychology at University, the programme felt familiar and I really enjoyed it. As the programme progressed I could feel my confidence growing and I began to feel like myself again. What really helped was talking to the other people on the programme and realising that they didn’t see me by my band.

I do feel that I have changed and developed leadership skills as result of the Accelerate course. I already had leadership skills in my previous roles before I joined the NHS. However, when I had started with the NHS I felt I had lost those skills and so when I did the course I developed a new style of leadership that suited to the different calibre of people that worked in the NHS.

My confidence has benefited from being on the course and it helped my colleagues to see me as an equal member of staff rather than being labelled a certain pay band.

When I first started the course I was starting a new job, my confidence in my abilities were already low, some days I felt incapable of fulfilling my role and thought about leaving the NHS. I believe that my learning of NLP had an impact on both myself and my new team. I felt the programme helped me to become more organised, manage my work priorities better and connect with my new colleagues. I believe I benefited my colleagues by being on the course. I used the content I learned with my new team, such as rapport, matching tone, mirroring to build relationships. I refer to the resources quite frequently. When I am given a list of jobs to do I use the time management tools with my colleagues that help me to prioritise the work. I discussed the organisational content with them and demonstrated it in my own work with them and I definitely feel that it has rubbed off on them and helped them too.

I plan look into NLP further and have discussed this with my Manager and I have spoken about doing the Practitioner course. The Accelerate Programme has given me the skills and confidence that have helped me to carry out my current role. I have had the opportunity to demonstrate my learning by running a team bonding session with some of my colleagues, using some of the content learnt from the course. My session was received well and I know that if it wasn’t for the Accelerate Programme and such theories as the self-esteem model I would have not had offered to deliver that session. Whenever I get nervous about something, I imagine that I am in a dark small room about to step out into this big bright light. I will then close my eyes take a deep breath and step forward. It’s amazing how this technique has helped me so many times to lose those nerves and think, ‘Yes, I can do this.’

The Accelerate programme has helped with my career; within 6 months I got another promotion as result of the programme.

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Case Study

Sarah Boorman

Project Support Officer Health Education England

Accelerate Programme 2015

Accelerate has helped in my personal life too. The programme has helped me realise that all people aren’t the same as me.

I would tell anyone who is considering taking part in the programme to do it.

The course is beneficial to those who are lacking in confidence and it would benefit all characters in the NHS; all grades/bands of staff, and Directors, who can sometimes be blind to staff issues. New starters such as apprentices would be ideal to do the programme too.

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Case Study

Debbie Bottomley

Project Support Manager – Workforce Information & Contracts Team

Accelerate Programme 2012–2013

Health Education England, Yorkshire and the Humber

What did you find particularly appealing prior to attending Accelerate?

I

was curious to know what makes a good leader, what was the secret to improving communication and getting along better with others?

Most importantly, how could I access this for myself?

What was the first thing you noticed had an impact on you by attending Accelerate?

Increased confidence – a positive effect immediately on how I felt; others’ perceptions and responses began to change. Receiving feedback from others was a great confidence boost as they noticed the transformation in me.

How does your experience compare to what you expected? Did anything surprise you?

In truth, and based on past experiences of attending courses, I was expecting to be shown information and resources, reading and discussing in groups. Enjoying the time on the course and learning new skills and meeting new people. Usually I would be excited for a short while afterwards and then slowly forget the learning by not having had opportunity to implement it.

How many people can recognise this?

In reality, the Accelerate Programme has been nothing like any other course!

What was your most useful learning experience?

What have you done differently since your involvement?

• A fter each module, going through the worksheets, exercises and resources on a regular basis, which was followed up with feedback and group discussions at the next module which allowed everyone to practise and share their experiences.

I have improved communication with others, for example:

• U sing the learned resources in preparing for meetings, project planning or delivering presentations and looking at ways to aid better communication.

• T hrough listening and observing other people’s behaviours and preferred styles of communicating I am able to better understand others, which helps build my confidence and improves the way I communicate.

• I t has given me a multiple perspective when communicating with a wide variety of audiences by using the tools and techniques to consider others, recognising differences and similarities.

I have improved and adapted methods of communication and learnt from past experiences.

• H aving a greater understanding that everyone has their own internal map of the world running in their mind. We all think, feel and behave or react to situations based on our own experiences, knowledge and backgrounds. In one situation I realised this, and I was able to be less reactive and more understanding.

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Case Study

Debbie Bottomley

Project Support Manager – Workforce Information & Contracts Team

Accelerate Programme 2012–2013

Health Education England, Yorkshire and the Humber

• U nderstanding that people make the best choice they can at any one time.

What might be observed is only so because we do not see the purpose.

In learning to explore the purpose behind the action and not just the action itself, we build better relationships and improve communication.

Can you give us a specific example of how the learning has made an impact on the way you work?

1. Effective Communication I have the ability to effectively communicate with audiences at all levels of leadership within Yorkshire and the Humber organisations/trusts. The language we use to communicate with others and ourselves has a dramatic effect on how we behave. In turn our behaviour effects how others perceive us, first impressions count so make it a good one!

2. Personal Development Finding new ways of working has built up my confidence and resilience, enabling me to develop effective communication.

I feel that stretching my perimeters and working outside my comfort zone by using the tools and resources has helped in supporting my development.

Through renewed self-belief and learning from the past – for example mental preparation, visualising success and learning from what went less well – I found ways to change things for future.

Communicate effectively with all stakeholders (2012–2016) On completion of the course I was given the opportunity to lead and complete a successful programme of work, establishing and promoting online network groups and improving engagement in Yorkshire and the Humber region. The online membership growth and usage of network groups increased from 4,758 members to 46,062 in 2015, with 40 online groups in 2016. I produced effective promotional materials, including best practice case studies, inspiring stories, project overviews and guidance documentation.

Project Support Manager (2016 – Present) My current role involves communications and engagement of the ‘Workforce Contract and Information Team’ at HEE YH to promote and publicise the team’s projects using an array of communication and engagement mechanisms.

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Case Study

Debbie Bottomley

Project Support Manager – Workforce Information & Contracts Team

Accelerate Programme 2012–2013

Health Education England, Yorkshire and the Humber

What do you believe are the challenges and priorities currently facing the NHS and how can diverse leadership help?

The NHS is constantly changing and evolving, and this requires a diverse leadership able to manage change and respond to others effectively.

The workforce is diverse, offering a mixture of strengths, skills, talents and personalities to bring together innovations, new ideas and improve ways of working.

By developing people to be the best they can be, through inclusion and diversity and building better teams.

We can learn to be resilient, innovative and positive in supporting challenges and priorities in the future.

How would you summarise the experience in three words or a short phrase?

• Fantastic • Life-changing • An amazing journey of self-discovery

How has Accelerate helped you outside of work?

How do you continue to use the Accelerate Programme?

What would you say to someone who is considering taking part?

We have a tendency to think that our way of seeing things is right, that it corresponds to reality. I have learned to better understand others and new ways of thinking which changed how I react to situations. This has definitely improved all areas of my personal relationships simply being aware of how to make changes for better communication and understanding of others.

The tools and techniques you learn on the course have a profound way in helping you identify situations, change the way you react or think and improve the way you communicate.

First question: Are you open–minded, willing to learn and are curious to know more?

It’s important to remember that there is no magic wand, it does take dedication, practice, patience and reflection to make an impact over time.

Daily use of the tools and techniques is undertaken on an unconscious level and without even realising – you will be amazed as it becomes a way of life and a natural process.

Basically, in better communicating with others I have adapted my way of thinking to be less reactive and more understanding. I now have the ability to adapt methods of communicating to encompass verbal, visual preferences, looking at appropriate language levels, and whether the information needs to be detailed/high level considering audience requirements.

Anyone with a desire to develop should take the opportunity to attend Accelerate.

I would encourage them to discuss it with their line manager during one-to-ones.

Better still would be if this was promoted by managers via personal development plans, thus enabling people to shine and building better teams. Put simply, this is the best course I have ever attended!

In recommending the Accelerate programme to other colleagues I have observed the positive effect this can have on others as they grow and develop through their journey.

This is a truly life-changing experience in both my work and home environments in building better relationships with others and for my own personal development.

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Case Study

Caroline Drake

Specialist Stroke Physiotherapist

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Accelerate Programme 2010–2011

I

was a participant in the first year of Accelerate. At the time I was a rotational band 6 physiotherapist who moved teams every 12 months. My role involved deputising for the band 7 staff in the team. However, due to the frequent changes of the team my leadership role was limited.

I started the course without any real preconceived ideas. I had come across NLP before but didn’t have an in-depth understanding of it. I was excited to have the opportunity to develop my leadership skills further as a band 6 member of staff.

I was surprised by how quickly the content of the course became part of my everyday thinking and used in every part of my life. It is not just a range of techniques; it is a way of life that permeates through everything that I do.

When I started the course I had a limited leadership role, but was excited by service development work that I was doing and keen to develop my leadership further.

I had been on a very good course run though my Trust aimed at developing leadership in bands 6 and 7 staff and was keen to expand on this. The skills that I developed through Accelerate, through

both the NLP element from Chris and the NHS leadership experience of Dave, together played a role in me securing and retaining my dream job as a Specialist Stroke Physiotherapist. I have become more astute and politically aware of both my own team, my organisation, commissioning and the changing environment of the NHS as a whole.

This allows me to make better decisions for myself and for my team and gives me the skills to lead through the many changes we face. I have developed confidence in my leadership and my ability to lead the team. Rather than just deputising for my band 7 colleague when she is not available, I now play an active role in supporting and advising her as part of our leadership team. For example, recently we identified something that we felt was a threat to our service and would ultimately be detrimental to the

care of our patients. I led an audit process that provided the evidence for Clinical Leads to take to their managers, which ultimately modified this threat and made it manageable. Using the NLP element of the course I was able to maintain morale and offer support to other team members whilst we fought for our service.

I have now been in that role for 5 years and over this time have faced many challenges. Limited staffing following reconfiguration led to an inability to meet targets and low staff morale.

This also led to frequent complaints from patients and relatives about lack of service. Further large changes happened when funding was agreed to increase our staffing in order to meet the targets.

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Case Study

Caroline Drake

Specialist Stroke Physiotherapist

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Accelerate Programme 2010–2011

The team went from 12 to 36 members of staff in a couple of months, most of the new staff being inexperienced and with the introduction of Assistant Practitioners and Apprentices to the team. At the same time there was the expectation that targets would be met due to this increase in funding. This has led to new challenges and I been able to develop my leadership role. I am now part of a senior team of band 6 staff supporting our band 7 Clinical Lead in the leadership of the team.

This involves the day-to-day management of staff and leading service development.

preferences and styles. I am also better able to lead the service forward due to improved understanding of navigating the NHS systems and communicating with management staff.

I am a much better leader following the course, I have a better understanding of people – how they think, how they communicate, how to read them and how to influence them positively. I am better able to understand our staff and therefore support them better. I often use techniques and concepts from NLP during supervision with staff to help them to manage stress and anxiety or conflict.

I am able to adjust my communication approach to suit different individuals’

One very positive example is that using the NLP approach I was able to maintain a good relationship with a lady whom I had raised a safeguarding concern against with relation to her husband. At the end of the best interest meeting where I had outlined my concerns, she hugged me!

I have also found the NLP approach very useful with patient care. In the first instance I was able to use this to help patients with anxiety e.g. fear of falling to improve their confidence.

The improved understanding of people and communication works at all levels: patients, carers and staff.

For anyone considering this course I would say ‘It is life-changing and you will use it every day, in and out of work!’

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Case Study

Amy Dunmall

Practice Educator/Education and Research Lead

Leeds Managed Clinical Network, Sue Ryder, Wheatfields Hospice

Accelerate Programme 2015

T

owards the end of the Accelerate programme I secured an additional work position on the Executive Team of the Leeds Managed Clinical Network for Palliative and End of Life Care. Accelerate enabled me to believe in my own potential to apply for the position and to successfully undertake it. I now lead Education and Research for End of Life Care in Leeds.

I have used tools and skills gained on the programme to work with the Executive Team and the wider network to define and agree the vision and purpose of the work and build effective working relationships across traditional organisational boundaries.

Towards the end of Accelerate programme I secured an additional work position on the Executive Team of the Leeds Managed Clinical Network for Palliative and End of Life Care. Accelerate enabled me to believe in my own potential to apply for the position and to successfully undertake it. I now lead Education and Research for End of Life Care in Leeds. I have used tools and skills gained on the programme to work with the Executive Team and the wider network to define and agree the vision and purpose of the work and build effective working relationships across traditional organisational boundaries.

I have a greater sense of confidence in my abilities and I am able to adjust or work

with my own and other people’s limiting beliefs or ‘stories’ to work effectively at work and home. I am creating my own compelling future currently and I know that what vision I create I will achieve.

Accelerate has enabled me to make permanent changes to the way I think and my self-awareness has increased.

The changes have impacted on all my relationships. It was the most impactful training programme I have done to date.

I would love for more people to gain access to these essential life skills as they have the power to deeply affect the way we interact with ourselves, others, within teams and organisations.

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Case Study

Zahida Mallard

Equality and Engagement Development Manager South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Accelerate Programme 2014

T

he Accelerate experience was quite different, having done quite a number of academic courses around management. I think the programme has made me aware of a different kind of skillset or interpreting information differently that I can use. It has given me additional mechanisms to use and processes to think about, having done the course. It has given me a different level of awareness that my thinking isn’t the same way of thinking as someone else or my assumptions are not the assumptions that are generally held by the people that I work with or alongside. There are tools and techniques that the programme highlighted that I still continue to use such as the ‘power and grace’ walk and the ‘map is not the territory’ tools. They are in my kit bag to use or reflect on.

A lot of the times when I was using some of the skills that I learnt I didn’t highlight that they were from the programme as I was using them alongside others that I already had, so it wasn’t necessarily Accelerate on its own that I was using with my team. The content of programme can be applied to your everyday world whether that is your working world or your world outside of work. There are some techniques and tools that have been quite significant and there are others that I would need to look back into and refresh my memory.

The programme has helped me see potential and fulfil the role that I am in.

As a result of the programme I have had an external coach and it has been my first experience of having a coach. I haven’t formally engaged with having a coach before. I have identified that it is a need for an ongoing coaching relationship to help me be nurtured and help identify opportunities for me.

If someone is considering taking part in the programme I would advise that it isn’t just the attendance on the day that is crucial but you would need to ensure that you use the tools appropriately as and when you need to. It’s a lifestyle and life choice that you want to make part of your everyday life. You would need to put time into practice the techniques if you really want to take something out of the programme that will help you.

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Case Study

Zahida Mallard

Equality and Engagement Development Manager South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Accelerate Programme 2014

I believe different things will be relevant to different people and not everything will be used. Some techniques learnt will not be relevant or current in that given situation.

There are things that I know that I haven’t concentrated on or used as I already had experience of the political and social environment tool. I worked in that context and had the experience and skills within it. However, for other people that may be something new to them. It would be very easy to dismiss the things highlighted if they aren’t in your current, everyday world. It’s about ensuring that you are open-minded. However, we all say that we are open-minded, but is that really true? I know that there are certain things on the programme that I was quite cynical about. We all have our filters and we all have our lenses of difference that we either appreciate or we dismiss. I also think that even if we dismiss them in the ‘here and now’, they are always there in the back of your mind. There is a footprint or imprint left that you may come back to.

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Case Study

Michelle Sheppard

Group HR Manager The Thames Group

Accelerate Programme 2015

W

hilst on the Accelerate programme I was put into a lot of uncomfortable situations that I didn’t really like at the time. However, I knew there were good reasons for that, particularly around presenting – this was one of my main weaknesses, therefore I found that a real struggle and I understood why we had to do that now.

Learning the different techniques surprised me and how they worked.

There is one technique that I use all the time, which is the sleep process because I find it hard to switch off. I constantly use that on an evening to get rid of all the things going on in my head. I thought I was a confident person before I did the programme. Actually, I found that my confidence grew more after each session on the programme. By the end of the programme I felt I was a completely different person.

I’ve started a new secondment role in the private sector and if it wasn’t for Accelerate I wouldn’t have had the confidence to take up this new role. It was a huge challenge and still is and I feel that I wouldn’t have taken this on if I hadn’t had completed the programme.

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Case Study

Michelle Sheppard

Head of Diversity and Inclusion Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Accelerate Programme 2015

I feel that this course has helped me and I have increased confidence. If my new manager asks me to do something, I wouldn’t hesitate and would go for it.

I’ve only been here for 2 weeks and I know my manager may put me in a lot of uncomfortable situations. However, I feel ready for the challenge.

In my old role at Barnsley I was a Resourcing Manager. Now that I am working in the private sector, I am group HR Manager for the company, therefore I’m expected to travel up and down the country. It is an entirely different situation to what I’m familiar with. However, I have no qualms about jumping in and getting on with the job as result of what I’ve learnt on the Accelerate Programme.

I shared the Accelerate techniques with my colleagues I worked with, particularly

the important/urgent matrix for time management, as my team found it hard to prioritise. When I was on the programme I’d learn new things and go back to work and share them with my team. I also shared the techniques personally with my partner. He uses some of the techniques now, such as the sleep process.

chose to test as a 12 months secondment.

I would like to do further NLP training.

I have been on a half-day course, the company was called White Apple Thinking.

It was for women who want to develop themselves and be coached and it was an NLP practitioner that delivered the course.

I would certainly like to develop my NLP skills further.

Accelerate has made me believe that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I truly believe that I will make a success of my secondment. Who knows if I will take it further? This is a 12-month secondment and a promotion. I certainly wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for Accelerate.

I use NLP quite frequently in my personal life. I help my daughter with her confidence. She is a newly qualified staff nurse. She manages staff and I coach her through difficult situations. I use it in my personal life with my partner. I look at situations from his perspective and also from a third-party perspective as well.

I analyse my behaviours as well as my partner’s behaviour, which I feel really helps me to understand the full picture.

What I want to do over the next 12 months is take on this current challenge and be successful at the end of it. My employer offered this as a permanent role but I

I research about NLP in my spare time and I find that doing this gives me a new-found motivation and drive. I bought some books about NLP too. I am really enthusiastic about how powerful NLP is.

I would say if anyone is keen to develop and grow. This is the perfect course for them. You look at things and think about things very differently. When you are in a difficult situation you learn to be calmer and more focused whilst under pressure.

You can certainly manage difficult situations effectively. I would encourage anyone who wants to develop their leadership skills and help them in looking for that next step on their career path to undertake the Accelerate programme.

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Case Study

Gordon Smith

Head of Diversity and Inclusion Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Accelerate Programme 2014

T

he Accelerate Programme provided a lot of detail around how we think and the way that impacts upon us. I could have never envisaged the wide range of tools and techniques available to cover different situations.

I found that really interesting and the way the course was structured really helpful as there was plenty of time to practise those tools and techniques built into the programme. I thought the method of delivery was really good as it was informative yet quite informal. The trainers therefore developed very good rapport with the group participants. The group I was in was really wide-ranging, some people were quite confident and other people were less confident. Gradually the trainers built a rapport that seemed to get the best out of the group. I was not expecting that range of techniques and the impact that it would have.

I want to try to be the best Equality and Diversity Lead that I can be and I think that the tools and techniques that I learnt in Accelerate have helped and supported me to do my job better. I found the programme very positive and it gave me a positive mindset. I have been clearer in my expectations with my team and have been more positive in supporting my

colleagues to develop. It has improved my influence over others in trying to get things done and has influenced the way I write papers and reports so that they are better structured and therefore more likely to get the outcome that I am looking for.

I have been more conscious with the language that I use and give more thought to how I frame things. My role requires me to influence people in a variety of different situations. I like to think that I am more considerate in the language that I use. When I am working with people on a one-to-one basis, I listen to the way they frame things and whether they have certain preferences, such as feeling, hearing or visual. As a result of that I work to frame my conversation depending on their preferred style. It makes me more conscious of the impact that you can have on people, your emotions and your frame of mind and how that can impact on people around you, for instance when you are going into a meeting, how you prepare for that and adjust things

accordingly. I was training as a coach (whilst on the course) and I found some of the techniques very helpful in terms of coaching sessions. It allowed me to think about language, being able to share some of the simpler tools and techniques with the people I was coaching to help them with issues that they were dealing with.

The programme can be applied in your personal life too. I have used the programme tools and techniques in a family setting. Subsequently I have used some of them such as the ‘Future-Based Planning’ technique when we were going on a family holiday to California. I used this to go through the plans that I was developing for the holiday and that was very helpful. When we have projects at home such as redecorating a room I used the ‘Future-Based Planning’ tool to work out what I needed to do and when. There is another technique I can remember that used called ‘Perceptual Positions’.

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Case Study

Gordon Smith

Head of Diversity and Inclusion Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Accelerate Programme 2014

I used this with my eldest daughter, who I had a challenging relationship with at the time of the programme. We have very similar personalities and I used the technique to look at the way she may have perceived my behaviours toward her and how I might change things to improve our relationship. I’ve used that technique a number of times when I am thinking about what is happening with a particular person. I would think about the way I’m behaving and how they may perceive my behaviour and why they are responding in the way that they are.

Another technique I found helpful was ‘Circles of Influence’. When you are involved in something and you are getting frustrated and you are not making the progress that you should be, this technique makes you think about what is it that you can influence directly and think about if there is a way of expanding that influence. Where there is something that is beyond my level of influence, it is helpful

to recognise this and stop getting stressed about it. That would stop me from focusing too much emotional energy on that and allow me to focus on particular behaviours that can increase my level of influence in terms of what I am trying to achieve.

I would recommend the Programme as I noticed the very positive impact it had on other trainees on the programme – the way their confidence increased by the end of the course. A number of people on my programme obtained promotions either during the course or immediately after.

I noted a really big change. It is well worth investing the time on the Programme, as long as you have a basic understanding of what it is that you are letting yourself in for and you are going into it with your eyes open. It is important that people who are new to the programme and want to do it should have a basic awareness of what NLP is about.

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Case Study

Kirstie Stott

Director

Inspiring Leaders Network

Accelerate Programme 2010–2011

H

aving worked as a clinical nurse for many years, I was ready for a change and to have more influence over the health and care system. I was becoming frustrated with my current role and feeling like I could add more value to what I did, but felt unable to do this, as I didn’t really feel that I had a voice, or the confidence to express my ideas and challenge the way things were currently done.

When the email came through for the Accelerate Programme, I can recall what stood out to me, it said: ‘Do you feel you have more to offer?’ This was what attracted me to the programme, as I definitely did.

I was in the first cohort of ‘Accelerators’ in 2010 and it’s hard to believe it’s been 6 years. It’s been a very different 6 years and I would definitely attribute the catalyst for this as the Accelerate Programme.

When I first signed up to the programme I wasn’t sure what to expect, I had heard of NLP but didn’t really understand what it was. Within the first module (2 days) it became apparent and I found it really engaging and insightful. I went home really excited and looking forward to the next module.

At the time I was feeling frustrated in my work and to be honest, reflecting back, probably quite short-sighted about the future in the NHS. I expected that the programme would be good, but I didn’t realise how much it would change and shape the direction of my career.

The programme really equipped me with the tools to start thinking and acting more broadly and strategically about my then current role, but what it also did was give me the opportunity to start thinking about how I can make the changes I wanted to myself, in order to develop and grow as a future health and care leader. It gave me the opportunity to gain personal insights into myself and how I show up in the world, as well as understanding difference at a real in-depth level.

The Accelerate Programme enabled me to be more confident as a leader and to believe in myself, to lead with my values and authenticity. It also enabled me to understand other people and their differences. I believe this is essential for all leaders, to understand that people are as different on the inside as they are on the outside, and that understanding this we can appreciate that people think differently and process information in different ways. This enables us as leaders to influence and engage in a more meaningful way. I would definitely say that this has facilitated better working relationships with people and teams who I work with, enabling better understanding of what we were wanting to achieve, and ultimately this will lead to better patient care and outcomes.

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Case Study

Kirstie Stott

Director

Inspiring Leaders Network

Accelerate Programme 2010 –2011

Following on from the Accelerate Programme I made the decision to apply for the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme (GMTS), something that I believe I would never had done; the recruitment is tough, with only 1% of applicants gaining a place and over 12,000 applying. I was successful in my application and undertook the General Stream. Since the GMTS I have held several NHS management/leadership positions, with my last one being the National Programme Lead for the GMTS. I would have never imagined this would be possible 6 years ago.

A year ago I established a partnership company (The Inspiring Leaders Network) with someone who I met on the GMTS. The Inspiring Leaders Network is a fastgrowing, innovative organisation which supports people to think differently, work collaboratively, increase diversity, build stronger relationships and to flourish and thrive.

I’m thinking more broadly...

I have since recommended the Accelerate programme to people I work with and as a result two of my colleagues have attended the programme.

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Case Study

Louise Sutton

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team Manager Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Accelerate Programme 2015

I

completed the Accelerate Programme in 2015. I did not know anything about NLP before I started the programme, so my expectations were limited.

Another member of the CSLT team had completed the programme in 2014 and gave positive feedback, so I was looking forward to doing it. In 2013/14 I completed the Mary Seacole Programme and the learning on the Accelerate course was very different to this, with more face-to-face teaching and learning and less written work to complete. The difference was appropriate I think, given the nature of NLP. In many ways the face-to-face contact was more challenging in terms of diary management, as was the level of reflection required.

The reflection was focused first and foremost on self, rather than team, service or organisation.

I continue to use the techniques and return to my folder to refresh myself, as well as looking for ideas. I introduced techniques to the other team managers and the SLT leadership team, as options for problem solving. I have used theories with CSLT colleagues in my team and student SLTs. Some of the techniques were better received than others. Parts of the theory we covered were timely as they linked into changes within the Trust, looking at staff behaviours. I would say

that as part of my SLT training I am able to, without knowing that these were NLP theories, use some of the techniques when interacting with people because that is the core of our work.

For me, the Accelerate Programme did not directly link into patient care, the link was indirect. I can use techniques when meeting with parents or schools to ensure positive outcomes in discussions and to resolve conflicts. This then ensures better

outcomes for the children we work with across the service.

My leadership role is constantly changing as the requirements on the CSLT service alter over time. I believe that as a professional I should always be developing. This has been a fundamental part of my career in the NHS. One of my next steps at the end of the course was to request coaching at work, and I have done this.

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Case Study

Louise Sutton

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team Manager Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Accelerate Programme 2015

My coaching sessions have explored the other two next steps I set, firstly to achieve a better work/life balance and secondly to be able to enjoy my leadership role in the roller coaster ride that is working in the NHS. I applied for a temporary role, acting up within the service and was successful.

With the benefit of hindsight, I would say that 2015 was not the right year for me to have completed the Accelerate Programme. I struggled with the level of reflection required in terms of what was happening for me in the workplace. The other participants were very much on upward career trajectories, and displayed enormous amounts of enthusiasm about

the positive changes the course was bringing on an almost daily basis, whilst my path had moved downwards in the previous year and did so again during the course, as a result of a competitive leadership restructure and a service review. Despite this I worked hard to make the very best use of the opportunities the course provided. It seems ironic that the NHS has invested so much in recent years in my study of leadership, in circumstances which have made me question whether to remain in a leadership position at all. In terms of my future career, I am approaching a crossroads and who knows what 2017 will bring?

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Case Study

Jillian Taylor

Palliative Educator for Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust & Senior Educator

Accelerate Programme 2015

Helena Specialist Nursing Team

E

xamples of how the Accelerate Course has helped me are:

To secure a new role by giving me tools to prepare myself for interview by: • u sing the ‘4mat’ and ‘planning for a successful future’ where I planned in detail the vision I wanted to share and used storytelling techniques and predicates to help with rapport building • u sing techniques learned in the Accelerate course which focused on dealing with unhelpful negative internal dialogue/images (sub-modalities) • u sing mental rehearsal approaches to help me anticipate questions • I also used the Wonder Woman Pose and the ‘instant calmness technique’ before going into the interview for that rush of good feeling hormones!

• ‘ Walking with Grace and Power’ to make a good impression

The feedback from my manager was brilliant after the interview! She said I absolutely ‘nailed it’ and she said the Consultant was very impressed too.

I have always done well at interviews but have been nervous in the run-up, and worried that I would forget something important when in there, which has stopped the flow of what I am trying to get across. I felt very comfortable in there with all the skills I learnt on the Accelerate course. I believe it has given me a solid foundation on which to feel confident because it is so rich in tools and resources, which enabled me to prepare and feel reassured on a whole new level!

In my personal life I don’t get caught up in ‘Drama Triangles’ any more and it’s taught me to think ‘What is the intention behind the action?’ when others are stressed/cross or do something which irritates me.

This has enabled me to feel more at peace, more in control of my own state and more resilient. It has helped me in both my team working and team leading, and working as a team is a core value of my Trust.

My husband has noticed a difference and we are more at peace, though he does get irritated when he wants to labour a point and I just smile and agree. It’s hard to maintain a disagreement when

someone’s being agreeable!! I have learnt to ask myself now ‘How does this serve me?’ Is this working for me? Am I getting anywhere with this? So if it’s not worth it, not important to me or getting me nowhere, then I let it go and there is an element of control and sense of peace that comes with that!

In a way it has had an immense impact on my work/home life balance and my health.

I have been able to focus on personal goals as well as ones at work and manage time more effectively. I have really learned to focus on me in a way that I never did before. I used to think it was selfish but actually being self-aware and selfconfident goes hand in hand with being a good leader. If you can’t manage your own ‘state’ then you can’t manage others’.

My interpersonal skills have also improved since doing the Accelerate course, as I am now able to determine peoples’ communication preferences and spot whether they are internally or externally moderated, which enables me to be most persuasive in influencing their behaviour.

I also quickly spot exaggerations and omissions in holding people to account, which saves me time and stress in getting to the bottom of problems.

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Case Study

Jillian Taylor

Palliative Educator for Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust & Senior Educator

Accelerate Programme 2015

Helena Specialist Nursing Team

I have also learnt from the course about the importance of ‘Chunking Up’ and ‘Chunking Down’ information to the level of detail needed by the person I’m communicating with, thus saving time for me and others. Striving for excellence sits at the heart of my Trust’s values and excellent communication skills impact directly on patient care.

A story of transforming the self-esteem in others at work using multiple tools from the Accelerate course I am a Clinical Educator, so my focus is on helping people learn. When I learned about the ‘Esteeming Strategy’ on the Accelerate course and how it helps people gain self-esteem in learning, I introduced it at work. As a Trust we want staff to behave compassionately, it’s one of our core values. I could see how this tool could teach learners to be compassionate in learning and build their own self-esteem and that of other learners that they may go on to teach. I sat recently with a Support Worker who was showing

severe stress-related behaviours that her line manager was struggling to deal with.

The Support Worker accompanies a child to school with complex health needs, requiring healthcare support at all times.

The Support Worker had been referred to me for help as she had taken a child out of her lesson at school because the Support Worker felt the teacher was getting at her. This behaviour had occurred a number of times, which impacted the child’s education and how our team is perceived in school.

In discussion with this Support Worker it became clear she had very low selfesteem and said she was struggling with feelings of persecution, which impacted on what she thought people were thinking of her. She put it down largely to not feeling that she was seen as doing as well as another Support Worker who started at the same time. She felt the teacher was getting at her and because her self-esteem was low it felt to her like just someone else who thought she was no good!

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Case Study

Jillian Taylor

Palliative Educator for Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust & Senior Educator

Accelerate Programme 2015

Helena Specialist Nursing Team

So I used the esteeming strategy and asked her to put herself on it, then I showed her where I saw her and she was amazed that she saw herself so much lower than I did. I was able to work with her to acknowledge all she had learnt and that it is a personal journey that can’t be compared with others, as the whole learning process is enhanced by looking back and realising what we have achieved instead of only looking forward to what has yet to be accomplished. I used other techniques from the course too, which left her understanding that whilst it’s natural to ‘fill in the blanks’, it’s important to remember that you can’t actually ‘read minds’ and that it’s highly likely that how others interpret the situation is different in lots of ways to how she might see it.

I particularly used the VAK preferences from the course to illustrate this. She left feeling motivated, respected and felt more reassured about herself and regularly says to new Support Workers that this was a turning point for her.

Acting with integrity, being nonjudgemental and giving her dedicated time with one-to-one support enabled her to open up and feel valued.

One of the presuppositions of NLP is to seek to understand the intention behind a behaviour, and acting with integrity is a core value of my Trust.

In the months that have passed she has really blossomed and has developed secure and rewarding relationships with all the other team members, and the families and schools she works with.

I draw on these techniques regularly for teaching team building and interdisciplinary communication throughout Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

In conclusion, I couldn’t possibly tell you all the ways this course has influenced me on a professional and personal level and equipped me to manage myself and others more compassionately and competently. It has shaped my leadership and sits at the foundation of my vision

of the future. At every opportunity I say to other professionals who express a wish to develop their leadership skills that this is ‘THE’ course they need to do. I share the tools far and wide to help others perform and manage better and say without hesitation that in my 30 years of nursing and learning in the NHS this is without doubt the single most transformative course I have ever been on. It is packed with tools which are easily applied in practice and highly skilled course leaders that help you get the very most from the investment made in our attendance.

I have been a huge advocate for our Trust to invest in further staff attending the Accelerate course and three more have been successful with their application this year.

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Case Study

Dawn Walton

Clinical Service Manager – West Hub Integrated Children’s Additional Needs Service

Accelerate Programme 2014

Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

I

entered the Accelerate Programme not entirely sure what it was I was signing up to. It was a time in my life and my career where I couldn’t fill myself with enough knowledge and experiences and had a deep desire to be something more… not that I would have been able to articulate what that something was!

So I guess it was this desire, coupled with curiosity about whether this course would be ‘the thing’ that could get me there, that encouraged me to apply.

I expected the programme to be similar to other leadership programmes – I anticipated a theoretical learning experience that I would go back and try to apply in my job role. What I was not prepared for was the opportunity to learn an alternative way of behaving, living and thinking. It surpassed expectations, giving me a completely different perspective and approach to my work and home life.

Having worked for a number of years in a role that combined clinical and leadership activities, my vision was firmly set on improving my skills within these areas as long as it remained in my professional field. The Accelerate Programme uncoupled me from this vision (a happy uncoupling) and allowed me to cease looking at a profession-specific career and be open

to roles that would utilise, challenge and continue to develop my skills.

As a leader this has meant some significant change. I stepped away from my safe and comfortable role and the colleagues that I loved working for and with and pushed myself into a managerial role in a new integrated service structure, leading highly demoralised staff in an extremely uncertain environment!

I have grown as a leader in response to the Accelerate Programme. What does this look like? It means that I am open to opportunities, wherever I am and whoever I am with. I am full of ‘wonders’ about how things connect and what learning I or someone I know can take and experiment with. I am full of curiosity

about how I can facilitate a better working environment that will help colleagues have the best possible day. I am committed to looking beyond immediate behaviours and seek to understand those that I work with to help them fulfil their potential.

Those that work with me experience my leadership in the authentic collaborative style that is intended. Though I make mistakes, and struggle at times with the enormity of my role and the things to be done, I am secure in the knowledge that I am constantly still learning and developing and that I am not a fixed entity.

I can change the way I respond and think about situations and therefore have no limits to what results I can get to.

Accelerate Programme | 31

Case Study

Dawn Walton

Clinical Service Manager – West Hub Integrated Children’s Additional Needs Service

Accelerate Programme 2014

Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

My current role does not involve direct contact with patients. My priority is supporting staff and creating an optimum environment for them to deliver the best possible care – which I do through multiple opportunities such as supervision, appraisals, cultural shifts, provision and response to performance information – especially connecting professionals with this, team meetings and feedback around incidents and successes. When I do have contact with service users, it is typically around service dissatisfaction. Having the skills to approach this with an inquisitive mindset allows me to learn richly about what works well, how our service is experienced and how we can continually learn and improve. This clearly benefits our service users and also supports and delivers the vision and values of the Trust.

My learning and development has continued since graduating from the programme. I have a clear sense of what I need to grow in my everyday role and seek out experiences and people that can help with addressing those gaps. I have my sights set on the next ‘formal’ learning opportunity, which I will pursue next year.

This course provides a rich environment to promote different thinking. Those that have a desire to be different or to affect real and transformational change (that the NHS desperately needs) or those who simply want to explore their potential will benefit from this opportunity.

...

Accelerate Programme | 32

Case Study

Chris Watt

Interim Head of Corporate Communications Health Education England

Accelerate Programme 2012–2013

H

i everyone, my name is Chris Watt and I work for Health Education England, which the NHS Leadership Academy is part of. In my last job, where I worked in Communications for Harrogate and District FT, I was part of the second group of people to do the Accelerate course.

When I applied for Accelerate, I was a middle manager in my Trust, but struggling to move forward in my career, despite being very ambitious – eventually I wanted to be a senior leader, with a team of people who were motivated and delivering an outstanding service for patients and staff.

I spoke to my line manager and listened to the directors and senior managers I worked with every day and identified why they felt I was not moving forward: • W hile it was good that I took pride in my work, I let setbacks or criticism affect me in a negative way.

• T his in turn showed itself to colleagues, making me less approachable to those who I was there to help and advise and lessening the confidence of senior managers in my mindset to deliver an outstanding job.

• A s a consequence, I was passed over for the more senior roles and projects that I wanted to do, which I took as a set-back – and so the cycle continued.

Accelerate Programme | 33

Case Study

Chris Watt

Interim Head of Corporate Communications Health Education England

Accelerate Programme 2012–2013

So some of this was about how I thought, in terms of my inner resilience, some of it was how I presented myself generally to the outside world and some of it was how I interacted and built relationships of trust with colleagues.

After I came on the Accelerate course, my colleagues in the Trust said they definitely saw a change in me: I was more confident and came across as such. As a result, they started to give me projects to lead and I was given a small team to line manage directly.

But that wasn’t the end of my journey – and as you’ll find on this course, you can take what you learn with you every day, in and out of work.

Last year, I left Harrogate when the communications function was being significantly restructured. I joined Health Education England and took the chance to look back on what I had learned on the Accelerate course. Some of this was techniques that can help you to make a good first impression and make that last.

At HEE, I found that I thrived and asked my colleagues what they felt I was doing well, so I could do it more and where I could enhance what I did. The things they told me were that I came across as confident, was able to instil confidence in others and had instantly built a strong rapport with colleagues at all levels through the organisation, even though I was still at a middle management level. People saw me as an expert in my field and listened to the advice I gave.

Anyway, where has the Accelerate course brought me now? Well I started as middle manager at my small acute Trust in Harrogate, who progressed and gained more responsibility before moving onto a new job at a similar level at another organisation. I did well in that organisation and when a more senior job was advertised, I was urged by my colleagues to apply. I did and again directly used some more of the techniques that I learnt on Accelerate in my interview.

What struck me was that all these things were helped by what I had learned on Accelerate, about the way I managed myself, how I presented myself to others and how I built rapport with them.

Because that’s the thing about what you’ll learn on this course. If you embrace it, you’ll find yourself using the techniques every day, as I do. Sometimes, in a conscious, pre-planned way. Sometimes unconsciously, only noticing as you do so.

And some become so natural that you only realise you are doing it when someone remarks on it.

And so, with the help of this course and what Chris, Dave and Liz taught me, after just 3 months as middle manager at Health Education England, recently I started as National Head of Corporate Communications, leading a team of 19 people based right across the country.

Accelerate is the best course I have ever been on.

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