Using skills beyond the corporate playground

Since Aug 2022 I have been missing from the corporate scene; this was a deliberate action so that I could support my mother through her toughest challenge of her life, some two months earlier she had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

I was about to embark on my greatest and most challenging assignment! Both emotionally and physically.

Mum’s goal was to remain at home to the end and our assignment was to make this happen; sounds simple!

This scenario is not unique to me, it is played out every minute of the day with someone, but what is different and possibly unique to us is “how we addressed this”. The waves of emotion were unpredictable but having the change tools to hand I was able to guide us through the stormy waters.

My career in the last 30 years has been in project, programme and transformation delivery and it is these skills and techniques that I brought to bear and delivered this ultimate goal; not for a business outcome but at a much personal level. The success of this is illustrated by the smile on my mum’s face a few days before her passing.

Over the last few weeks, I have thought about what can I do to help others going through similar situations? My aim now is to share the tools and techniques applied throughout the journey [in a form of an e-book and a summary pictorial] to help others who may have to embark on a similar mission and how they too can provide the best support possible. I would also like to raise money for the specific hospice that provided support to my mum and the family over this difficult period; each download will request a ￡5 donation to this hospice so that they can support others.

I would like to hear from the LinkedIn audience on what were/are the most challenging aspects they have faced when dealing with these situations.

What would you suggest makes the biggest difference to ease the problem facing the patient and caregivers?