PHILOSOPHY

Statement of Intent

In developing my first professional portfolio it is important that I understand what a portfolio is and how it can be used as I have not done this before. My work involves providing training and consulting services to healthcare organisations so I am indirectly linked to healthcare through my own business, not directly as an employee. A professional portfolio, according to Andre et.al. (2017, pp3) is “ structured evidence demonstrating that an individual is meeting their profession’s standards for practice, including an indication of the professional’s vision of future growth and capacity building”. Research shows that e-portfolios provide security in storing collective information (Brown-Wilson et al, 2018); are viewed as an authentic assessment tool (Brown et al, 1997); can be used to record and provide robust evidence of skills, professional experience, goal achievement, continuing professional development (Green et al, 2014). In addition, an e-portfolio becomes a tool to reflect on professional growth, develop and achieve goals and give a “snapshot” of where we are at professionally (Siegle, 2002). Although I am not a leader in healthcare directly, I provide training and consulting services to leaders in healthcare and as such it’s important I understand their needs and assist them to achieve their goals, which can include working with their Managers and teams too.

As part of this work I am involved in supervision, coaching and professional development and am guiding others through the change and growth processes they need to develop. By being required to develop my own e-portfolio it is requiring me to go through a similar process that I am guiding others through and this not only increases my own skill set but requires self-reflection of myself too. People can be reluctant to take ownership and responsibility of their own learning, and the focus on fears and working with weaknesses often makes people fearful and can be seen as threatening (Joyce, 2005). Developing my own e-portfolio therefore is improving my own skill set so I can pass that knowledge on to others, but is also engaging me in reflective thinking. This will increase my own emotional intelligence and self-awareness. My aim with my own e-portfolio is to increase my skills and knowledge in developing clinical supervision programs and supporting healthcare leaders through change and in developing themselves professionally. Wilber et al’s (2008) concept of “shadow work” forms an important part of my work, where people explore parts of themselves that have been “rejected, denied, hidden from ourselves or projected onto others (Wilber et al 2008, pp 41). Using reflection can achieve this – a critical self-assessment process that develops awareness of our learning, how that learning affects us, how we have applied that to our work environment and how we can improve (Gwozdek et al, 2013). By developing my own e-portfolio and increasing my knowledge and skills in these areas I will then be able to transfer that knowledge to my work with my clients, encouraging and guiding them through the same process and supporting them through change and their growth.

Personal values and beliefs: My training and consulting business

I would describe my training and consulting professional practice as evolving, growing all the time and adapting to the needs of clients as well as my own growth. With a personal focus on self-awareness and being a role model, my practice changes all the time to reflect the changes in me. Some of my values and beliefs originate in my Greek culture and family background, which were reinforced for most of my life by parents. Mayer and Salovey (1997) describe emotional intelligence as the ability to be aware of and manage our feelings as well as the feelings of others, and learning to use this knowledge in life and in relationships. This skill underpins all my work and I strive for integrity and honesty, emotional intelligence and growth in all work and interactions. Self-awareness means recognising my limitations, being able to embrace and accept change, perceive clearly and show honesty in my responses to others (Ramsay, 1987). Being a catalyst for change and an instrument of truth to help others change and grow with psychological safety is important to me. I believe that my values and beliefs would be similar to those of other professionals.

The professionals I have met and worked with mostly share my values and beliefs and operate with integrity and honesty, doing the best they can for clients. Professional registration, professional development requirements and market forces with word-of-mouth mean that professionals display these values or they won't survive professionally. I am open to changing my beliefs and values regarding my practice if I learn that there is a better, more effective or better-researched model or theory that has worked for others and is worthy of exploration. As long as my core values of integrity and honesty are maintained, within those boundaries I am open to being challenged and to evolving in my work. This forms part of professional development and should be part of both reflective practice and ongoing growth. Fisher (2003) describes critical self-reflection as being able to explore, bring out and question our own beliefs and assumptions, to think about other perspectives and explore how our beliefs and assumptions affect us. I feel there is a danger in holding beliefs too rigidly and not being flexible to change as it comes up within us and before us. The success I see in people that I work with, the results I see in them, keep these values alive for me and reinforce them for me. Integrity in all interactions, emotional honesty with sensitivity and empathy, being there to support the growth of others. I strive to role model the philosophy that Ellis (2012, pp 58) proposes when he says that a professional should not just be a user of a theory or model, but a ‘developer, tester and expander of the theory’. If and when power issues arise in the therapeutic relationship, I am careful to manage the necessary boundaries while showing empathy and unconditional positive regard. Humility and self-awareness assist with this and keeping the channels of communication open.

Professional Identity

I strive to make a positive difference in the lives of clients and their staff, to leave a positive footprint and have integrity in my interactions with people. As much as I hope to make a positive difference in the lives of others, the best indication and evidence of this is from feedback I receive from staff and clients. I work in training and consulting and after every program all participants are given to complete an evaluation form so I use this feedback as a guide as to the difference I have made. Feedback I often receive is that the work I do has made a positive difference in the lives of others, that people feel supported to change and to grow, that they feel heard and understood. Using a positive psychology approach allows me to focus on strengths in people’s lives and to facilitate strengths-based increases in well-being, instead of focusing on gaps and deficits (McDonald et al, 2013). The best indication I have that staff and clients are learning or improving is direct feedback from them and also behavior changes displayed by the person. In my work I collect as much feedback as I can as this becomes a valuable self-reflection and continuous improvement tool for me and where feedback is positive there will also hopefully be behaviour change in the other person. Behavior changes over time that are noticed by the person involved and also others, becomes a good measure of success for me. My greatest achievements as a professional, apart from running my business, are when I am given feedback that the training and consulting I design and deliver have made a positive difference in the lives of others. In the coaching process especially, issues identified can often be issues that have remained unresolved for years, with the person even unaware of them, but these issues have held them back in some way and have prevented them from being the best that they can be. When self-awareness and confidence increases and the person feels they have the knowledge and skills to make positive changes in their life, there is an excitement and enthusiasm that becomes infectious and makes the hard work worthwhile for me. Watching someone blossom and thrive gives me my greatest achievement. The most challenging part of the work I do is monitoring my own self-awareness and emotional intelligence, ensuring I am mindful of my triggers and can manage them.

Kasapi and Mitiotis (2014) describe knowing when to engage in or detach from an emotion depending on the situation and intended use, and this can be used to manage the triggers within us and our boundaries. The emotional journey in the coaching and training process often means my own emotions and responses are triggered and the challenge is managing these responses and maintaining the integrity of the work I do. An important part of self-awareness is being aware of and understanding what we are thinking and feeling at any given moment (Ramsay, 1987). Wilber et al’s (2008) concept of “shadow work” has been particularly useful for me, helping me explore parts of myself that have been “rejected, denied, hidden from ourselves or projected onto others” (Wilber et al 2008, pp 41). Leading someone to truth can also be challenging, requiring me to facilitate truth but in a sensitive and positive way that strengthens the other person. I hope colleagues and peers would say about me that I have a passion and commitment to truth and to change, that I endeavour to help others find their truth and discover what's holding them back from being the best that they can be. This commitment means I am not fearful of truth, nor of honest truthful conversations. My interest in people and behavior initially led to me becoming a leader in healthcare and since then the miracles I have been part of, transformations and successes I have seen, and truth I have been invited to share, have reinforced these feelings for me and have kept me committed to the work I do and strive to be better.

Statement of professional philosophy

I initially worked in training and consulting for the healthcare industry because I want to support healthcare professionals to grow and be the best that they can be, so that they then are able to provide the highest quality care with positive patient outcomes. Delivering high-quality training programs reflecting client and stakeholder needs that then align with the organisation's values and help to create positive culture and engagement. My belief is that positive, effective leadership comes from high self-awareness and high emotional intelligence supported through leadership and culture initiatives, so I tailor and design programs with consultation and stakeholder engagement, relevant data including engagement and culture surveys, success measures and metrics.

My journey has been complex and unique, with studies part-time at night and careers in areas as varied as hospitality management, travel and tourism and counseling, through to coaching and training.

While my pathway did not always seem clear and linear, it now gives me perspectives and experience that are valuable. Past obstacles and setbacks now seem opportunities for growth and necessary. Studies I have engaged in have always been alongside working and while these studies took longer than anticipated they brought richness and complexity. Wilber et al’s (2008) concept of “shadow work” is important in my work, exploring parts of ourselves that have been “rejected, denied, hidden from ourselves or projected onto others” (Wilber et al 2008, pp 41). Engaging in self-reflection allows for the critical self-assessment that increases self-awareness, how we can use experiences and learning, how we can apply that to our work and how we can improve ourselves (Gwozdek et al, 2013). Commitment to emotional intelligence, self-awareness, resilience and compassion that were required along the way are now things I can pass on to others on their own journey. I am aiming to help create workplaces that support their staff and teams, that provide the training and coaching to build effective teams and emotionally intelligent leaders, that can adapt, can be agile, can create positive workplace experiences that then facilitate positive patient outcomes. The work satisfaction coming from meaningful recognition, people being acknowledged for their contributions to work outcomes, that Clevenger (2008) describes, comes from increased emotional intelligence and I hope in part from the support I provide clients and workplaces.