When we meet people through work we often see one side of them, a small bit of their true self, and its really easy to pigeonhole someone by what they do. I always make a point of finding out more and I'm not usually disappointed. When I'm looking to work with someone it's much easier to do business with someone you know, who you have things in common with, and you ultimately you like.
All to often we think we need to be professional, we hide behind our qualifications, our role title, or experience and stay safe, not a great way to start building relationships really. So if I'm going to work with someone, train with someone or even spend time with them I want to know a bit about them, who they are and how their experience helps me.
So, having sat and thought about what you might actually want to know about me I decided to drop the corporate PR and share "my story". Don’t worry it’s not some evangelical life changing event that set the course of my world, instead a series of life changing actions, most of which I didn’t realise were significant at the time.
We all have a story, it’s what we choose to believe, our values and our habits, that creates the story we “show and tell” others about ourselves.
So here goes - vivacious - no outrageous, little girl has all the local boys eating out of her hand, running around for her, doing chores like carrying PE bag, pumping up bike tyres etc etc, boy did I know how to work the charm! Then something strange happened, the outrageous little girl turns into gawky, self-conscious teenager. I started to worry much more about what others thought, about fitting in and in the process forgot to be myself. So much so that by the time I’d gone to college, got a career, bought a house, had a baby and all that, I’d kind of forgotten who I was.
Sure, I had a great life, lovely family, was successful, I had a good career in the NHS, from nurse specialist in emergency care, to senior management and national strategic positions – but I knew there was more. So leveraging my expertise and contacts I took a great leap of faith and set up my own business, consulting for the NHS around patient experience and service improvement. Business was great, I quickly collected a team of great people to work with and got to know the high profile people in my industry. Definitely some traces of that outrageous little girl at work there! Many seemingly small actions, resulting in a lot of new opportunities and a whole different live to my NHS career.
The thing is I love people, and my real satisfaction comes out of helping people to see they can do / be, whatever it is that’s important to them. It took me a while to realise that this was often about self-belief, drive and passion not just skill, resources, and contacts (these of course help enormously). Part of the reason it took me a time to realise was because that self-conscious teenager got in the way – 'who’d believe you', 'if it’s that easy why doesn’t everybody do it – silly!' You know the kind of self-talk that knocks you off course before you even start. So my first job was to sort my self out, after all way there was plenty of evidence to support my success, plenty of people wanting to work with me, and plenty of friends seeking my council – even though I only helped them see the answers they already had.
So I began to grow my business to suit my passions, strengths and things I really enjoy doing. I love new challenges, growing and developing projects as well as people, so I’ve combined the two. First by changing my health care consultancy into a development consultancy – still in the health sector, adding a 360 feedback business to support the leadership and cultural development work I did. This quickly grew, with colleagues, old clients and other coaches asking how they get hold of this 360 thing.
So where am now? I partnered up with one of the UK’s leading online 360 providers Appraisal360 and now direct the practitioner network. This enables my to provide on going business development support, coaching, mentorship to other coaches and trainers through VIP Business Programmes, one to one support and through the online network.
Just in case you’re wondering what gives me the skills to do this, I’ve a successful record in business 11 years now, a whole string of qualifications ( if you really want to see them they're at the bottom of this page). Most of all I have a passion for continued learning, so I constantly push myself, learn with the best, consolidate and test my learnings and then love to share them.
How do I do it – well that’s the easy bit, I found that outrageous little girl in me, the one who identifies what she wants and takes action to get it.
I hope you like my story and more importantly I hope it makes you think about your story, who you are, what you want and who’s running your life?
My personal blog often has some overlap with this and also is the place i share my thought on personal and business growth beyond 360 feedback visit http://www.lyndaholt.com
My credentials ...
Education
MA (Medical Sociology) – University of Warwick
Diploma in Management - De Montford University
Dip Higher Education (Health Sciences) De Montford University
Registered General Nurse, Oxford School of Nursing
Professional
NLP Master Practitioner -IFCNLP
Hypnosis Practitioner
Marketing & Business Development Programme – 2009
INLPTA NLP Practitioner – 2008
Fellow of Institute Leadership and Management - 2007
INLPTA Diploma in NLP - 2007
Foundation Diploma in Corporate Coaching – 2007
Inner Coach Practitioner Programme – Coaching Academy 2006
Certificate in Professional Coaching – Coaching Academy -2005
Leadership Development Programme – Kings Fund - 2000
Accident & Emergency Course, Francis Harrison College -1992
Intensive Care Unit Nursing Course, Harefield Hospital – 1987
Registered General Nurse, Oxford School of Nursing – 1985
Membership
International Frederation of Caoching (IFC)
European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC)
International federation of Coaching and NLP (IFCNLP)
Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
Publications
10 Keys To Success In Your 360° Feedback Business – download a copy here
Co-editor of International best-selling Emergency Care Text
Dolan & Holt Accident & Emergency - Theory into Practitice 3rd Ed (in press due out late 2011) 2nd Ed (2007) 1st Ed 2000 (reprinted eight times)
Published in numerous journals including Health Manager
Today, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Emergency Nurse,
Nursing Times and Nursing Standard as well as policy
guidance documents with the Department of Health (England),
Royal College of Nursing and British Association of Emergency
Medicine