COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS.
Last week was National Volunteer Week, and as a volunteer I’m proud to celebrate the RNLI and salute the thousands of other volunteers who give their time to keep others safe and bring value to our communities. I’m equally proud to be able to bring the lessons from my experiences into my volunteer role and to help others connect purpose with performance.
For me, volunteering has always been a part of who I am. I’ve been both a volunteer and paid lifeguard with the RNLI for around 20 years, and it’s something I continue to do alongside my role as a learning and development consultant.
Volunteering has taught me a lot about leadership, communication, teamwork, passion and my own values. These are skills that transfer directly into the world of work and my role as an L&D consultant.
Last week, I had the unique opportunity to bring these two worlds together when I delivered a session on ‘Feedback and Courageous Conversations’ to a group of senior lifeguards.
We explored how the ability to have open, honest conversations is crucial — not just for team cohesion, but for physical safety, and organisational image. In lifeguarding, these conversations ensure we can learn from mistakes, operate safely and accelerate performance, lowering the risk of harm to both lifeguards and members of the public. The same is true in other workspaces — when feedback is delayed, avoided, or unclear, performance and trust suffer.
We also talked about how courageous conversations aren't just about speaking up, they're about listening well, choosing the right moment and supporting each other to grow. We connected the dots between personal development and the responsibility we hold as lifesavers.
In higher risk sectors such as lifeguarding feedback and courageous conversations are a safety tool, not just a leadership one.
People skills underpin my mission to help people thrive, whether that’s on the beach or in the boardroom and I’m really grateful I get to make those links with some really passionate people.