Being a virtual company it's all too important to have time to gather as a Clarity team, and as a wider associates team, in person. This quarter’s event, hosted at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden provided the opportunity to connect, share ideas and talk to one another.
It meant that we could all finally welcome our full 2022/23 graduate cohort in person. The grads have joined at such an exciting time in our development, with a real chance to shape the future of Clarity and how we all contribute to making change happen.
We also welcomed our new Director – Karen Smith – to her first gathering with the wider team. As an expert in business case authorship for large capital projects, Karen kicked off the afternoon training with an introduction to business case development, bringing us all up to speed on the basics, with a quiz at the end.
As part of this challenge, we all took a section of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” which we then had to, in pairs, reproduce on an A3 sheet using oil pastels. This exercise presented many parallels to the complexity and detail of developing a business case, and neatly illustrated the importance of clear and regular communication in the development process.
However, given our working in relative isolation, we were incredibly impressed at how well the final image turned out. Perhaps the Clarity team has some hidden art talent?
The focus of the evening was a chance to meet with some of our Associates for some fascinating talks and networking.
Andrew Moore, Clarity Partner, shared some of the unique opportunities in Saudi Arabia, including work currently being delivered by the Clarity team, future opportunities and the role consultancy can play in the development of the Saudi 2030 vision.
Abbas Mirza, Group Head of Community Engagement, Engagement and Participation [CB1] Barts Health, NHS Trust, spoke to us about engaging with the community and the influence it has on healthcare development. He showed us some truly inspiring stories of how simply understanding the people who access the NHS, their needs and values can turn the tide on otherwise difficult situations.
With communities being changed by the effects of COVID-19 and NHS Core20PLUS5 healthcare inequalities taking a position of strategic importance, it is clear to see just how vital it is to understand the people we serve.
It was a fantastic evening and great to catch up with so many hard-working and inspiring individuals. Our Associates play such a vital role in delivering the Clarity vision.
We hope to see you next time in Manchester for our next Associate's networking event!
