The power of networks, the importance of personal development and the beauty of serendipity.

During lockdown I was introduced to a charity CEO peer group set up by Anna Day, Managing Director of the Centre for Social Change and all-round excellent coach. Anna shared her fundraising expertise and knowledge with a group of CEO’s via zoom every Wednesday at 3pm.

I remember feeling guilty for indulging myself in an hour and a half of personal development and coaching when there was so much to do with fundraising and keeping on top of administering the charity and our programmes. The shared conversation with likeminded CEO’s all of whom were facing their own personal and professional challenges due to COVID-19 was something I came to look forward to every week. I am so glad I pushed my guilt aside and I kept attending.

In one of the sessions, I shared with the group that I was feeling a little overwhelmed with my workload and the increasing need of our beneficiaries in East Africa. A fellow participant, Tracey West, CEO at the Word Forest Organisation suggested that I contact Jonathan Black, Director of Oxford University Careers Service. Jonathan heads up The Oxford Strategy Challenge (TOSCA) with his colleague Maurice McCartney.

This innovative programme pairs Oxford University undergraduates and postgraduates to organisations who need some consultancy but perhaps do not have the human resource or budget to do it. Despite COVID-19, I met with 10 students via zoom last week, informed them of my challenge and they asked questions and clarified issues before embarking upon the challenge which ended with two extremely professional presentations delivered via zoom yesterday. Today, I am putting their recommendations into action and I am certain that COCO will benefit significantly from their external perspective on our work.

I later found out that Anna had met Jonathan on a train journey, and she had introduced him to Tracey who then suggested their programme to me. If I hadn’t chosen to attend that CEO peer session, I would probably still be overwhelmed and I most certainly would not have experienced the new found enthusiasm for my work that the wonderful minds of these young students reignited.

Serendipity is a wonderful thing but you have to put yourself out there to experience it. Have that conversation on the train, join that online peer group and engage with young minds. You never know, it might just spark up the fire in you that has been lying dormant for a while.

TOSCA exists for all businesses, not just charities and I can strongly recommend engaging with them. You can read all about the programme here https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/community-partnerships/