Those of you who have stayed with me during course of this blog so far may remember I referenced that disco classic ‘Oh what a night’ right at the outset having started my project with a night shift as a healthcare assistant on the stroke ward. Well keeping the musical theme going – ‘what a difference a day makes’.

This is yet another song from the past that perfectly sums up my week. (The version in my head is sung by Esther Phillips, younger readers can feel free to hear Jamie Cullum’s dulcet tones.)

This week I spent time with a seriously talented lady who kindly agreed to provide me with a little mentorship and support through my project. Visualise – a whole hour with her all to myself, over a rather scrummy latte and scone with butter and honey!

Please do not underestimate the power of a really good mentor. An objective person who can challenge you, support you and encourage you out of your comfort zone. In my case there was also the added benefit of someone able to throw so many new ideas and ‘what ifs’ at me in the space of 60 minutes that I came away desperate for a little lie down to recover and thankful I had built up my strength by stocking up on calories.

One of the many things she asked me was whether I had given any thought to the return to my day job. ‘But I’m not even half way through my secondment yet,’ I thought quietly to myself. She is right of course. I already know that I’ve changed, had my eyes and ears opened to lots of old bits I’d forgotten about and to piles of new stuff I’d never appreciated. Maybe I should be giving some thought to how all this will impact on me as a finance director?

If my learning and development is going to have a big impact on what I can do in the future, what else I might want to do, and how I actually carry out my job then perhaps both my organisation and I will need a while to think this through? It’s not fair on either party to be asking the question with two weeks to go.

Being asked this question came in the week when I agreed to do a slot at our forthcoming annual regional HFMA conference. Good timing, as I’ve decided I should do a little summary of the lessons I’ve learned so far. I’m thinking that this will not only be a great basis for my workshop, but also give me the material I need to challenge myself to answer my mentor’s question in the most creative and innovative way I can.

If you haven’t got a mentor, I strongly recommend the idea to you!