32. Dr. Bob Klaber - kindness matters!

Today, I‘m talking to Bob Klaber - a charismatic London paediatrician, building a global movement for kindness.Like ‘Whose Shoes’, Bob is exploring a topic that could be seen as ‘soft and fluffy’, and bringing it centre stage. Bob’s kindness movement was featured at the Quality and Safety Forum in Gothenburg. I was delighted to contribute to one of the crowdsourced videos.Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋Important to contextualise healthcare in people’s lives - find out what matters to themShare the power. Use healthcare appointments to codesign ways to maximise quality of lifeSee things from children’s perspective, including language!Life aspirations are typically far more pressing than short-term medical considerationsAs a hospital consultant, find ways to make yourself accessible, not aloof!Everyday sexism is rife! Find ways to counter it#NoHierarchyJustPeople - sparking real conversations, breaking down  barriersStorytelling –  put something of yourself out there, show some vulnerability, let people know what you really care aboutLet’s act. Let’s move. This is urgent!Can you measure kindness? Should you  try? 🤷🏼‍♀️Think beyond the processes. Be clear what you want to achieve. Don’t just measure things because you can!Exploring feelings and experiences is deep and energising … and  hard workThe tide has turned. There’s no place for leadership through bullying and shouting at peopleThe most downloaded podcast episodes aren’t necessarily the  most influential!Kindness, #WMTY, patient stories - coming together as a big movementNHS must look outwards – patients, local residents, the wider communityCoproduce the things that will make the biggest impactSee things from different perspectives, recognise and acknowledge the tensions - can help us  move forwardBe curious! Challenge yourself to be open-minded rather than thinking “Oh well, that’s how it is”Be like children.The ‘5 Why’s’ ? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Children ask 19 whys in a row!The human side of care: people join the monthly kindness sessions from Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the night!There are people from 30 different countries - a sense of collective power, collective learning, collective curiosity, give people a sense of hope and communityInformal connections - the ripples are powerfulThere is value in feeling and experiencing the impact, rather than  having to measure everything It ‘s important to reflect – but it doesn’t always need to be through formal channels. It could be on Bob‘s bike!Find the balance between reflection - and doing things!Find the things that matter most, that will have the biggest impact. Be deliberateShoutout to Dr Mary Salama! #IntentionalCoffee ☕️☕️Relational meetings - find out what people are thinking – as opposed to transactional meetingsKindness goes beyond the individual  leader – build it into the organisation, into the  systemLinks and resourcesProf. Marshall Ganz: The story of self, us, now: We LOVE it when you leave a review!If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations usefulplease  share your thoughts by leaving a review (Spotify or Apple are easiest to leave a review - navigate via 3 dots) and comment on your favourite episodes.Connect with me - Gill Phillips - on LinkedIn, especially if you are interested in our brand new #CYPWhoseShoes resources or our well-established #MatExp (maternity experience) work.I tweet (not so much these days!) as @WhoseShoes  and am on Instagram as @WhoseShoesUK and @WildCardWS.Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.