Growth-based Career Planning for Healthcare Professionals

Stephanie Tempest, PhD, is an Occupational Therapist and Learning and Workforce Development Consultant with nearly three decades of experience across neurorehabilitation, academia, and national healthcare leadership. She is the director of Stephanie Tempest Consultancy Ltd and co-director of The Creative Health Alliance.

“Applying a holistic lens, Stephanie explores ways to keep the human heartbeat central for everyone in the healthcare system.  She opens up the discussion on growth-based career planning where it has generally been narrowed and thinks about growth across the strands of practice in the wider healthcare ecosystem. She encourages honest conversations, values-based decisions and personal career control.  This book is accessible to a wide audience. Stephanie includes the Kawa model approach as a helpful solution-focused tool for practitioners. The metaphor of a river provides a common language for understanding across the sector and facilitates nurturing, movement, empowerment and potential joy and fulfilment in the workplace.  This book is an important and timely evidenced-based contribution to workforce discussions in the current climate of challenge and reduction. It will contribute to shaping sustainable growth-based career planning policy and decision-making across the healthcare professions.”  Veryan RichardsLay ConsultantAssociate Lay Consultant, The Collaborating Centre for Values-based Practice, St Catherine’s College, Oxford    “We live in a world hurried by a rough clamber to the clouds. So often colleagues reflect that it is not until we get there—into whichever of the clouds we were headed for—that we realise what may have been missed along the way: consolidated, broad learning; curiosity to explore and gain complementary skills and knowledge; nuance; joy; innovation; excitement; purpose; time to breathe; the chance to enjoy family life, not just survive it.  This beautiful slice of humanity gives permission to us all, whatever our life stage, to take back control: to enjoy career, life, and everything in between over the course of a rich journey, rather than having achieved it all in the first xx years only to look back and wonder why.  This book is a must-read for current and future health and care professionals (and indeed all career paths) and for people supporting this vital workforce. It offers a refreshing alternative to the traditional career ladder, inviting us to adopt a more human, flexible, growth-based approach to retain and develop staff, valuing the non-linear flow of the river.  Blending theory with real-life stories, this book highlights the value of healthcare careers across many different roles in practice settings, leadership, education, and research, and shows how they can coexist. The Kawa model offers a powerful, evidence-based metaphor for understanding careers as rivers—unique and evolving—with insights from the Kawa research community, alongside a dedicated chapter on human resources.  This is a deeply human book, reminding us that career choices happen in the context of our lives outside of work. Twenty colleagues from across nine healthcare professions share their successes and their growing pains too. Steph, in her true expert style, has crafted an honest, practical book to inspire and help us navigate meaningful healthcare careers within a complex landscape, offering good reason to stay, to thrive, and to grow. Thank you Steph for your creative and compassionate leadership of this innovative and vital work.”  Professor Beverley Harden MBE FCSPDeputy Chief Allied Health Professions OfficerMultiprofessional Lead for Advanced and Consultant PracticeNHS EnglandVisiting Professor, University of Winchester    “Growth-based Career Planning is a powerful reminder that careers are not ladders to climb but rivers to navigate. Professional growth doesn’t always mean climbing, but sometimes pausing, pivoting, or simply being.  Stephanie Tempest’s use of the Kawa model brings a human, holistic lens to career development. This book is a gift to healthcare professionals and those who employ them at any stage—encouraging growth with purpose. This book is a must read for those who want to shape a career that aligns with their values and bring joy to their work. It’s refreshing to see a contemporary and evidence informed approach to workforce development in healthcare.”  Professor Alison Leary PhD FRCN FQICN MBEChair of Healthcare & Workforce Modelling LSBUSenior Consultant WHO Europe

• Glossary xiiiAuthor’s note on the content and book design xvAbout the author - in three forms xviiHow to read this book (and if reading it in a paper version, Hopefully write in it too!) xxiiiAbout the co-authors and storytellers xxvReflective questions xxixEndorsement xxxiAcknowledgements xxxiiiPart 1 Why Do We Need to Talk About Growth- Based Career Planning? 11 The Limitations of the Career Ladder 7Reflective Questions 12References 122 Work and Life Outside of Work 13Reflective Questions 17References 173 Values- based Career Decisions 18Reflective Questions 22References 224 Autonomy 23Autonomy in Career Planning 23Autonomy in Our Work Roles 24Reflective Questions 25References 265 Growing Ambition and Patience 27Reflective Questions 29Reference 296 Joy in Work 30Reflective Questions 32References 337 Transferable Knowledge and Skills 34Reflective Questions 39Appendix 7.A Transferable Skills Activity 39References 408 An Inclusive and Representative Workforce 41Growing Routes into the Professions Including Apprenticeships 43Career Promotion for Career Changers 45Career Growth from Our Life Experiences 46Reflective Questions 50References 50Part 2 What Is Growth- Based Career Planning? 539 Vertical Growth 57Hierarchies of Structure 57Levels of Practice 58Vertical Growth in Practice 60Reflective Questions 63References 6310 Lateral Growth 65Reflective Questions 67Reference 6711 Growth for Consolidation 68Reflective Questions 72References 7212 Growth through Portfolio Career Planning 73Developing a Portfolio Career 75Reflective Questions 77References 7713 Growth within the Clinical and Professional Practice Strand 79Preceptorship (and Pre- Preceptorship) 82Resources to Support Growth at Different Levels of Practice 83Do I Need to Specialise to Grow my Career in the Clinical/Professional Practice Strand? 84Growing Careers in the Clinical/Professional Practice Strand within Origin Professions and from Them 86Reflective Questions 89References 8914 Growth within the Leadership and Management Strand 91Leadership and Management Roles as Part of a Portfolio Career 93Growing Leadership and Management Skills and Behaviours throughout Our Careers 94Reflective Questions 98References 99Resources 9915 Growth within Education, Learning and Development Strand 100Reflective Questions 104References 10416 Growth within the Research and Innovation Strand 106Reflective Questions 110References 111Part 3 How Do We Support Growth- Based Career Planning? 11317 Career Rivers – Introducing the Kawa Model 115Introducing the Kawa Approach 115Thinking About Our Careers with the Kawa Model 116Thinking About Our Careers: Past, Present and Future 117Thinking About Our Careers: A Snapshot of the Present 118What Goes into Kawa Maps? 118River Water/Flow 118Riverbanks 119Rocks 120Driftwood 120Spaces 121A Focused Narrative Example: Introducing Apih, from Technophobe to Fully Online Speech and Language Therapy Practice 121Final Extracts from Interview with Apih 127Using the Kawa Model for Holistic Growth- Based Career Planning 127Reflective Questions 129References 13018 Using the Kawa Model Approach for Growth- Based Career Conversations 132Introduction 132Personal Investment 133Growth- Based Career Decisions 134Using the Kawa Model Approach to Support Growth- Based Career Planning in Practice 135Longitudinal Kawa Maps 135Cross- Sectional Kawa Maps 136Personal and Professional Growth and Development 137Pre- Registration Learners 137Newly Qualified/Foundation- Level Practitioners 138Experienced Practitioners at Enhanced, Advanced and Consultant Levels of Practice 139Researchers and Academics 139Management and Leadership Positions 140Teams and Organisations 141Focused Narrative by Kee Hean Lim 142In Summary 145Reflective Questions 145References 14619 The Role of the People Profession 148The Roles within the People Profession 150Disruption and Innovation in Workforce Planning 151The People Profession As A Guide for New Ways of Thinking About Recruitment 152People with Career Breaks on Their CVs 153People Who Have Been Dismissed By a Previous Employer or Left Under Difficult Circumstances 153People with Multiple, Short- term Posts on Their cv 153The People Profession As A Guide for New Ways of Thinking About Retention and Flexible Working 155Developing Staff and Encouraging Lifelong Learning for Growth and Retention 156Cross Sector and Industry Projects 157Supporting the Growth of the Broader Profession 158Public Service 158Spaces for Collaborative Reflective Practice 158Learning on the Job and Learning ‘Just in Time’ 159And Sometimes Leave Staff Alone 159Developing Line Managers and Leaders 159Other Kinds of Leaders – How Do We Nurture and Support Them? 160The People Profession As A Guide to the Future of Work 161AI and the Future of Work 164A Final Word 165Reflective Questions 165References 16620 The Role of the Regulators, Professional Bodies and Other Strategic Organisations 168Regulators and Professional Bodies 168Working with and for Your Professional Body (and Maintaining your Registration) 171Resources to Support Growth- Based Career Planning 175Reflective Questions 177References 17821 Growing Ourselves and Our Networks 180Volunteering 181Supervision 181Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 182Mentoring 183Communities of Practice 184Networking 185Counselling 186Reflective Questions 187Resources 187References 187Epilogue – Dreams for the Future 189Index 196