London, England, United Kingdom
'There is no greater power on this earth than story.' - Libby Bray I am a former paediatric emergency medicine doctor who now promotes emotional wellbeing and social health through the connecting power of stories. As a storytelling coach and facilitator, I am passionate about celebrating true, personal stories that can inform, educate, engage and inspire those around us. The World Health Organization describes human health as having three pillars: physical (body); mental (mind); and social (relationships). When I worked as a doctor in the UK's National Health Service (NHS), I had been trained to focus on the physical and mental health of my patients. I hadn't quite realized the impact poor social health was having on our societal wellbeing in this time of great disconnect. When I became a senior clinical leader, I became fascinated by how healthcare teams worked together, how human factors helped or hindered team function and performance. When psychologically-safe, reflective spaces were created where personal stories were shared between work colleagues it built trust, let staff be heard, and fostered a more compassionate, desirable work culture. During my time in the NHS, I was part of national award-winning teams in staff engagement through utlizing this storytelling approach. I set up a consultancy called Behind Your Mask after leaving the NHS in October 2021 to take storytelling as a modality to promote social health and human connection for all workforce communities, not just in healthcare. The personal stories of employees, managers, and leaders can be creatively used at every stage of the employee life cycle. It allows leaders to be more authentic, through perhaps sharing their vulnerability. When we deeply listen to stories, we hone our skills of empathy. Stories allow employee resource groups to be seen, and create a sense of belonging. I offer coaching and mentoring for individuals to help reflect upon their own personal stories. Whether this is for professional development or for specific events, I am happy to help. My clients range from international school educators to professional musicians, from healthcare professionals to tech companies, and from city law firms to travel agencies. If you want to improve team performance, employee engagement, and your bottom line through creating a better, desirable, and more humanized place to work, then please check out my website and get in touch. It has been said that everyone needs stories in their life. Maybe it is time to get yourself a Lalith. https://www.behindyourmask.co
www.fwab.org/laos Paediatric Emergency Department