Released On 17 January 2019
Events: Preview of our Accelerator Conference
Our Cityparents Accelerator event is taking place on 20th March 2019. Join us at our fantastic half-day conference full of expert content which will give you the unique opportunity to explore your ambitions, think about your wellbeing and focus on areas for professional development.
For a quick taster of what we will be delving into, read our Q&A with a selection of Accelerator speakers and panellists.
Sam Smith, CEO, finnCapp – Keynote Speaker
Q.Thinking about your career so far, what have been the toughest lessons learnt along the way?
"To trust your gut and to make difficult decisions quickly as they really do need to be made."
Q. How do you look after yourself amidst your busy life and the demands on your time?
"That is the bit that is tricky. I try and fit in sport as that helps a lot, and try and book in time out from everything every few months."
David Murphy, Partner, Fox Williams LLP – Panel Moderator
Q. What’s your top piece of advice for other members about making family time count?
"If you can, get a cleaner and buy back some family time – and consider generally what home things you can outsource or put off to another day that will enable you to enjoy your family today."
Susanna Robinson, Senior PR Manager, Allen & Overy – Panel Moderator
Q. How can we best support other colleagues who are trying to get ahead whilst working flexibly?
"Be understanding and lead by example if you are a senior figure. Remember what days they have off so they don’t miss out on opportunities and encourage your team to be open if they are having an emergency and need to be elsewhere. Teamwork is about give and take as well as trust."
Nick Elston, Speaker on Mental Health & Anxiety – Citywellbeing Panellist
Q. What’s a common issue people struggle with in terms of managing stress?
"For me, it’s that we lie to ourselves. We either put on that mask and hide our challenges - which then compounds your anxiety and stress - or we tell ourselves we are ‘ok’ and therefore don’t seek help.
We are afraid of the truth - however, the truth is absolutely liberating."
Rachel Vecht, Director, Educating Matters – Cityfamilies Panellist
Q. What’s your advice for our members about making family time count?
"Prioritise family time. I always recommend to parents that they spend one-on-one time with each child regularly. I refer to this as ‘special time’ and literally see it as vitamins for their soul.
It needs to be frequent, predictable and scheduled. It’s not a whole afternoon out but short bursts (15-30 minutes) of uninterrupted time with your child, just doing something together that they enjoy, whatever their age."
Michael Brown, Principal, Michael Brown Training Ltd – Citycareers Panellist
Q. What advice would you give our members on navigating their next career milestone?
"Start negotiating your way towards your next career move now. There are all sorts of things you could influence in your current role: particular aspects of the role which you feel you want to develop to put you in a better position for the next role (for instance, getting more visibility at senior level, presenting to new forums, attending conferences). See whether your boss has elements of his or her role which you could take on: everyone loves a proactive worker, and if it frees them up a bit it’s a win/win. Even if you don’t get what you want out of this, the fact that you are engaging in this discussion is in itself good for your profile and will build your confidence."
Grace Marshall, Productivity Coach and Author – Citywellbeing Panellist
Q. Why do people struggle with implementing work/home boundaries?
"Too much choice and not enough choosing. Technology, flexible and remote working makes it possible to work anytime, anywhere. But it also makes it possible to be at work all the time, wherever we are. We sometimes forget that a choice is something we make, not just something we have. That’s when we get work life blur and over-stretching rather than flexible working. It used to be that our work/life boundaries were set for us. Someone else determined our start and finish lines. Taking work home with us would be stealing, and staying in the building after hours trespassing! Now it’s increasingly up to us to define the start and finish lines, to negotiate expectations and define our boundaries."
Want to hear more? Book now to hear more from our career, wellbeing and parenting experts plus Sam Smith and our second keynote speaker, journalist and author Bryony Gordon who will talk about her experiences of parenthood and mental illness.
The half day conference will run from 12.00-5.30pm followed by a drinks reception. Tickets are priced at £75.00. For more information and to book your place, please visit our website.
A discount is available to corporate members wishing to purchase multiple tickets, please email Louisa if you would like to find out more.
***by Fran Murrells Cityparents Events Co-ordinator.