Beth Duff, Director, Gentle Leadership
Beth Duff is Director of Gentle Leadership, a team development, coaching and leadership organisation that uses horses as part of its experiential learning. Beth attended Matrix Aberdeen in 2003 and Profile in 2007 and says of the experience:
“It really hooked me into the wider community. Having worked in both the private and public sectors, I had a pretty good idea how everything worked and I already knew that I had no desire or time to be a local councillor or anything like that. Beyond that, I hadn't given much thought to making a contribution to the community.
“Common Purpose brought me into contact with more of the everyday life of a community and many more possibilities for participating and making a difference. As result, I looked at where my interests lie and got involved with Young Enterprise in Grampian. I was invited to join the board and I am now the Vice Chair. I have also been invited to help the Careers Service at Aberdeen University to develop their service to help students be as ready as they can be for work and also approached by Scottish Institute for Excellence to get involved in some of their work."
Beth credits Common Purpose with helping her be more willing to get involved in her local community: “Some of these opportunities came my way through my work but my response came from the ethos that Common Purpose engendered.”
There was another important benefit too: “The other great thing about Common Purpose is that it gave me a local network which continues to expand. I enjoy being able to put people in touch whenever I can. It's also there when I need help or introduction.
“To start with I thought that I wasn't going to get as much out of Common Purpose as I might be able to contribute. However, what I found was that whilst I did have an overview that was helpful, I didn't have the depth of knowledge about how the sectors and individuals worked or of the constraints they worked under.
“Architecture is ultimately about people. So, understanding them as best you can helps you to get to the bottom of problems and allows you to find ways round what they might perceive as insoluble problems. Common Purpose broadened and deepened my knowledge of people, the organisations they work for and the cities in which they live and work.
“Immediate access was available to decision-makers at the highest level in organisations across the city, from the police to local government. Often, at an operational level you are dealing with people who aren't aware of the bigger picture or the context in which they are working. Hearing from - and quizzing - people at the top, we got a fuller picture. That is very valuable.
“Common Purpose has probably given me a greater tolerance of other people and, other organisations. For example, the City Treasurer's function, which I got to understand very well from a fellow participant, is evidently pivotal to local government whereas I had previously thought it to be benign and not at all proactive.
“Of course, the other benefit is the national network. There is no doubt that if, for instance, we secured a project in another region, I could contact a local Common Purpose graduate in the construction sector who would provide general background information to assist our work.
“Finally, one particular opportunity arose from Common Purpose, to which I think I was able to make a much greater contribution as a result of participating on the programme.
“A newly formed local health trust was halfway through the procurement of a £16 million hospital development and needed a non-executive director with construction expertise. I was nominated and appointed to the board. Having experience of the programme where you had so many varying views around the table at the same time helped me to make a positive and constructive contribution to the work of the trust."
