Doctors at Work

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As doctors we have to perform to a high standard in many settings, whether this is leading a ward round, cardiac arrest, or operating. Our technical skills are important, and out mindset matters too. In this episode, Krystle and I discuss mental performance.
We talk about career transitions and how they relate to our own self identity, and discuss the need to be aware of what matters to you, and the need to let go of some things from the past. We talk about how strengths can also become a weakness, and that doing things at the extreme is probably not going to be good; ask whether this belief is serving you or harming you.
Mental performance starts with self awareness, and self awareness is a life long journey not something that you do once and then forget about it. Self awareness includes thoughts, feelings, as well as body sensations; the latter can be particularly useful indicators. When difficulties arise, we need to identify what we are afraid of, what's the worst that could happen, what's at stake, and what exactly the issues are (it may be a learning need or style as much as anything related to thinking); this needs to be done with no judgement, so we convert limiting thoughts into thoughts that serve us.
Visualisation is a really useful tool to prepare for the future; visualisation is not about magical thinking, it's about mentally preparing and planning for whatever you need to achieve. And mind is like a muscle, so the more you visualise, self-reflect, and reframe, the better it gets.
Krystle Kustanovich, an accredited mental performance coach is renowned for her transformative work with top athletes and high achievers. With a unique focus on the intricacies of the mental game, Krystle empowers individuals to conquer their inner barriers and unleash their full potential. Grounded in neuroscience, Krystle's approach offers practical techniques that drive tangible results, enabling clients to surpass limitations and achieve unparalleled success.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystlekustanovich/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystle.coach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krystle.coach
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.millennialcoach
Podcast: "I never thought of it that way" https://open.spotify.com/show/0KvGzdOydPMg1hbMUdhuZj?si=f45cba449107453f
Website: https://mentalperformance.co.za/
You can also watch at www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: Shot by Polachek

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It seems odd to say that vulnerability at work could be a good thing, but in this episode Natalia outlines several reasons why showing your vulnerability at work could be a good thing. When one person is willing to admit that they are not at their best, this allows other members to share too, and this ultimately creates a team that cares more for each other. We talk a lot about learning cultures, but if we pretend to be perfect all the time, then the opportunities for learning aren't allowed to exist. And when you are not at your best, sharing this with others will help them decide how to get the best out of you on a given day, and would avoid misunderstandings that a short fuse might create.
Natalia writes: I'm a Spaniard who has called London home for over two decades. My eclectic professional journey has whisked me through the realms of entertainment, hospitality, and cybersecurity. With a Certified Customer Experience Professional and Project Management Agile certifications under my belt, I've had the honour of leading global, multicultural, and diverse teams—up to 40 members strong.

Throughout my 15-year tenure in customer-facing roles, I've been committed to nurturing both individual growth and team development, always aligning personal goals with business objectives.

My career trajectory has been a steep climb, leading me to the senior leadership team of a cybersecurity company. With experience in both B2B and B2C sectors, I have navigated companies through complex changes including acquisitions, mergers, rebranding, and restructuring—basically, if it involves change management, I've done it.

Committed to professional excellence, I hold a Level 7 Certificate for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors from the Institute of Leadership and Management. I'm also a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

I've battled anxiety, taken purposeful career breaks, and never shied away from redefining my professional path. These experiences have not only made me a lifelong learner but also a leader focused on resilience and adaptability. I believe in a non-hierarchical, action-oriented approach to leadership. Throughout my career, I have been particularly effective in male-dominated environments and have always been a proactive challenger of imposter syndrome.

You can find Natalia at https://nataliacerezo.com, on LinkedIn, and at https://linktr.ee/coaching_with_natalia.

You can also watch at https://www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos
Production: Shot by Polachek.

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Karthika Shanthakunalan shares her experience of being a clinical teaching fellow in ENT. We discuss what makes a good teaching fellow, and how the role can help your career progression. Her enthusiasm for teaching is heard loud and clear! We also talk about how she made career decisions, and her tips for other early career doctors trying to decide what to do.

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Steve and I discuss the parallels between high performance sport and the medical world. He tells me that high performance requires focus on the individual, the team, and the whole organisation. As doctors, we need to know ourselves well, including our strengths, identities, and how we deal with stress. Performance, whether operating, an on call, the ward round, or something else, requires preparation, and routine, including ensuring that we arrive in the optimum state. He shares a simple breath technique that helps us transition from one context to the next, and need not take more than a minute or so. We cannot just keep trying to go faster and faster, we need to refocus on human sustainability, and as leaders we need to look at both excellence and compassionate care.
Wellbeing Science Institute CEO and presenter, Steve Johnson, is a leading wellbeing expert. He is a qualified and registered psychologist. Steve consults with leading organisations including elite sport, defence, government and corporate sectors. He is the current Wellbeing Advisor to the National Rugby League (NRL) (AUS), the EPL (UK), the League Managers Association (LMA) (UK) and the Football Association (F.A.) (UK) Steve also developed the world’s first Elite Athlete Wellbeing Management qualification for people who work with elite athletes. The program currently runs in Australia and the UK. In addition to his extensive experience working as a performance psychologist and wellbeing advisor in the elite sport sector, Steve has spent over a decade working as a senior executive with leading global organisations across a range of sectors in Australia, UAE, Europe and the United States. Steve’s academic credentials include M.A. Management and B.A. M.Sc Psychology. He spent 7 years as a University Lecturer; was the course author of Australia’s first undergraduate sport psychology degree and was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School’s Post Graduate Leadership Program in Boston, USA.

About the Wellbeing Science Institute

The Wellbeing Science Institute is one of the worlds leading wellbeing organisations. The backbone of the Institute’s approach lies in their holistic, positive and developmental wellbeing perspective that is supported by evidence-based science. The Wellbeing Science Institute strongly believes that self-determination leads to higher levels of engagement motivation and higher quality wellbeing outcomes. Therefore, learning and capability transfer is central to everything they do.

Listen at https://matdaniel.net/podcast/; https://open.spotify.com/show/1j8uLaUU1g5bYTRVuwUX7j?si=672ec26a73164d7f; https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/doctors-at-work/id1701284564; or watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: Shot by Polachek
You can find out more about Mat's coaching to help doctors create successful and meaningful careers at www.MatDaniel.net.

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In this episode, Clare talks about her career and we particularly focus on her leadership roles. She tells me that as doctors we are all leaders, and often don't appreciate the skills that we actually have. Her leadership wasn't part of a big master plan, she worked hard as a front line GP, had her eyes open to identify problems, and then went on and did something about it. She advises others to work hard, say yes to opportunities, and always be kind.
Having first trained in psychiatry at the Maudsley hospital, Clare Gerada followed her father’s footsteps and became a general practitioner, working in her practice in South London for more than thirty four years. Over this time, alongside her clinical practice, she has held several national leadership positions including both the Chair and President of the Royal College of General Practitioners, only the second women in its history to hold both position. Clare has also set up and led, until 2021 the award winning service for doctors and dentists with mental health problems, NHS Practitioner Health. She has also set up and leads the Primary Care Gambling Service, a unique GP-led multidisciplinary service straddling the primary, secondary and third sectors. Clare was awarded an MBE in 2000 for her services to drug misuse and received a Dame hood in 2020 for services to mental health.

With Phil Hammond, Clare is appearing at the Edinburgh fringe in August 2024: Fifty minutes to save the NHS. Book tickets here.

Listen at https://matdaniel.net/podcast/; https://open.spotify.com/show/1j8uLaUU1g5bYTRVuwUX7j?si=672ec26a73164d7f; https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/doctors-at-work/id1701284564; or watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: Shot by Polachek
You can find out more about Mat's coaching to help doctors create successful and meaningful careers at www.MatDaniel.net.