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Tag: 2022

Utilise what you have to help others: a Masterclass with Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary for DfE

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

I was fortunate enough to take part in a Masterclass taught by Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education, in April of 2022. Our Masterclass afforded us the opportunity to spend time with one of the most senior figures in the British Civil Service and absorb some words of wisdom from her.   

Here are the three key messages I took from the Permanent Secretary’s Masterclass:

  1. The importance of not getting too comfortable

The Permanent Secretary told us stories about her various career changes. She detailed her experiences of taking on roles in areas or sectors in which  she had not built a reputation yet, and how difficult it was to start afresh in new roles.  I admire her willingness to look for the positives in a demanding situation. She was entering a completely unfamiliar environment, where she had to prove herself, but she also embraced the uncertainty. In her talk, she explained how we cannot truly learn if we do not face any obstacles or trials. She also, however, emphasized the importance of striking a balance between enjoyability and being uncomfortable. If we feel too uncomfortable, we will not feel that we have the breathing room to make the mistakes we need to learn from or ask questions that may benefit our knowledge. This message really stuck with me because I am in the initial stages of my journey to becoming a lawyer. As I do not come from what is deemed a ‘traditional’ legal background I will have to forge my own path and get comfortable with being uncomfortable to ensure that I take steps toward positive growth.  

  1. You cannot get the job if you do not apply for it

This message really spoke to me. In the past, I have limited myself in thinking that I was not good enough for certain positions or schemes due to a lack of confidence. The Masterclass with the Permanent Secretary has given me the insight that if I do not apply for these roles that I think I do not deserve, I will rob myself of the opportunity for growth and in turn limit my potential. 

  1. Utilise what you have to help others

The Permanent Secretary’s determination to carve her own independent career path in the Civil Service and to also use her privilege to help others was what stood out to me. Hearing the Permanent Secretary describe the policy reports she published on social issues such as social exclusion, diversity and inclusion, and the attainment gaps in higher education, I was very inspired. She told us that true leaders contribute when they can, regardless of how much or how little they have. I have aspirations of serving as a Member of Parliament in the future. In light of this message, I have been thinking about what kind of leader I should strive to be, similar to the Permanent Secretary who serves others before serving herself. I have already taken steps to implement positive change by creating a society for black women on my university campus in hopes of inspiring unity and community.  I will use my privilege, as someone who is comfortable with public speaking, to be a leader that speaks up for the issues in my community and that of others.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Masterclass with the Permanent Secretary. The words of wisdom she offered are greatly appreciated. I will not only take them with me, but I will use them well.  

 

Written by Tessy Idemudia, 2022 Masterclass Programme Participant

A Masterclass with Darren Mott OBE, CEO of the Conservative Party

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

In Conversation with Darren Mott OBE

On March 30th, we had our first Masterclass with Darren Mott OBE, CEO of the Conservative Party, which touched upon party representation, civic leadership and campaign strategy. During the session Mr Mott, talked about his career journey and answered a range of questions brought to him by the panel. It was a truly rewarding experience to hear his thoughts on the future of politics, skills that aided his career success and his perseverance through a range of challenges in his early career development. As someone with a passion for social mobility, education and community development, Mr Mott’s words have struck a chord with me.  His Masterclass has highlighted the importance of having a robust plan, a strong and unchangeable message as well as getting the right people doing the right jobs. Leadership is about supporting others and delivering sometimes difficult decisions. This Masterclass has helped me to recognise the power in pushing through hardships and being open to new areas of personal development. 

The Masterclass also touched upon how challenging political participation can be for young people during the age of social media, the changing landscape of political ideology and the future position of the UK political system. These all aligned nicely with the unrecognised skills that were mentioned as being a part of the mechanism for a successful political party. These skills included: emotional intelligence, working effectively under pressure and always thinking of the bigger picture. As I reflect on my own career aspirations within the context of this Masterclass, I recognise that discipline and perseverance are virtues that support the maintenance of a successful career in politics.

Our cohort were generally impressed by the many gems Mr Mott shared, one of which was to make a fundamental difference by doing something. This could be anything, but Mr Mott stressed the importance of physically getting involved and trying to find an answer to difficult questions. Many of us work with a variety of different organisations where we often focus on impacting as many people as possible but a key message from the masterclass session was to focus on trying to transform at least one life. This then paves the way for aiding the lives of many. By not seeing politics through the confines of parliament we were probed to continue striving for our goals and having the confidence to just go for it. I have learnt a lot from this Masterclass and look forward to future ones.

Written by Rochelle Wong, 2022 Masterclass Programme Graduate

A Masterclass with Charles Lewington OBE, Chief Executive of Hanover

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

My cohort and I were treated to our very first Masterclass in March with Mr. Charles Lewington of Hanover Communications. The offices of Hanover situated on the Thames’ Southbank offered the cohort a wonderful backdrop to an informative and candid Masterclass from Mr Lewington. Throughout his time with us we covered a range of topics such as career progression, handling a crisis and good qualities in a leader. I found these topics and others during the masterclass to be particularly pertinent to the questions that I am asking myself as my personal progression transitions from the end of university into the job market.

I am about to approach a crossroads as my undergraduate degree comes to an end this summer, I’m still not sure what direction I wish to take my career into. For perhaps the first time in my life what I’ll be doing next year is unknown to me. I find this stage in my professional development simultaneously exciting and daunting. Mr Lewington’s story and advice helped me to view this next step in a better light. He spoke of also not knowing what he wished to do with his own career after his University degree ended. The high level of success that Mr Lewington was able to attain despite a lack of direction initially in his career was encouraging to hear. Mr Lewington continued with advice to those at the start of their careers, urging us to go explore the working world and gain experience to help us find that which we truly enjoy before committing to one career long term. 

Applying to various companies and trying new roles that push you outside of your comfort zone involves a trial-and-error approach. Mr Lewington was firm in his assertion that the best thing we could do in the hunt for our professional pathways was to always take on the biggest opportunities offered to us, no matter how big the challenge may be. It is through pushing ourselves and heading into uncharted territory that we learn and grow the most, which is something that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Another notable topic Mr Lewington covered that I found insightful was crisis management. Inevitably in life and careers there will be periods of crisis when something sudden shakes all your best laid plans. Resilience to crises is critical in the world of Mr Lewington’s business and politics (and I’m sure many other industries). I listened carefully as Mr Lewington was asked how he deals with crises arising in his business. I think his advice is easily transferable to many different environments as well. He stressed how critically important it is to have a great depth of understanding before any action is taken in handling a crisis. The subsequent important steps are to have a detailed plan to deal with the crisis and ensure that all stakeholders are on board and in unison. Mr Lewington had high praise for those with personalities that crave knowledge, his reasoning for this is exemplified by how valuable he suggested it was to ask the right information gathering questions during a crisis. He stated that he liked “inquisitive people” as they would naturally learn about issues, create potential contacts, and build good connections in the world of business. As I was listening, I asked myself if I met this requirement of curiosity; I concluded that I have always been inquisitive and probing. Funnily enough, I even had the nickname of “Info Dan” in school because my friends saw that I always had some new random snippet of knowledge to impart on them at the most unexpected times. It was good to see how this quirky trait in me can hopefully be utilised in my career, and better help me to manage crises when they come knocking on the door.

Overall Mr Lewington’s Masterclass was a great experience which has set my expectations very high for the rest of the Masterclasses this year. There are far too many takeaways from this event for this blog post to cover them all, but for me these were some of the most interesting takeaways from the session. 

 

Written by Daniel Rowson, 2022 Patchwork Masterclass Participant