The journey continues

I wrote in my first blog post how I felt Barry Cockcroft was an enthusiastic mentor on the programme who was keen to assist. As the scheme has unfolded, this first impression has certainly proven correct. Living just outside the Birmingham area hasn’t stopped Barry from making a dedicated train journey to meet with me for coffee. Upon meeting, we’ve spoken without silence each time. An insightful balance of answering my specific questions but also sharing miscellaneous advice and anecdotes.

London Calling…

So, late in January, on a cold wet day, I set off on a day trip to London. I always enjoy being in London and today I was meeting Andrew to observe two very different meetings. The first meeting was the Board meeting at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Andrew is a Non-Executive Director of the board, and I was able to observe the discussions at the meeting; ranging from an IT Update to Clinical Quality reports to finances. Andrew kindly organised it so would be sat just behind him allowing him to clarify terminology for me. After the meeting I spoke to some of the other non-executive directors, who were all very friendly, and it was great to meet other leaders from other professions.

First meeting with mentor Phyllida Lloyd.

Phyllida contacted me soon after the programme had begun to arrange our first meeting before she had to fly to New York to take her all-female cast production of Henry IV to Broadway. We met at the end of November at a rehearsal studio in Southwark, where she was rehearsing finishing touches with her cast. It was very exciting to have a taste of her world and to see famous cast members from her show. She’d kindly bought me lunch and we chatted in the studio for an hour, occasionally joined by several of her friendly cast. I’d researched Phyllida’s career thoroughly and I’d prepared a long list of potential questions, depending on where the conversation led me.

Looking to The Future

The Alumni Leadership Mentoring Programme almost forces you to look towards the future whether that be in terms of higher education or working. At the same time, it allows you to see how far you have come as an individual from the start of third year on the way to the end.

“It’s great to finally know what my plan is for when I graduate and that I’m on the right track.”

Last month I was fortunate enough to spend a week gaining work experience at Cilla’s advertising agency: AMV BBDO. While it was incredibly exciting for a girl who’d always lived in The Midlands to be going to work in the biggest advertising agency in the UK, I was a bit daunted by my daily commute into London, something which I soon became comfortable with.

Mentoring Over the Internet

Most people would think that mentoring has to take place whilst physically in their mentor’s presence. In reality, it can take place however, whenever and wherever you and your mentor wish. From speaking to other mentees during a brief catch up session, I realised that some mentees may have only physically seen their mentor once or twice whereas, I have been lucky to be in the House of Lords on average once a month since the start of the programme.