"Innovation training gave me a confidence boost I needed to get a new job" | R&I News

"Innovation training gave me a confidence boost I needed to get a new job"

Anthony is a sales manager in the telecoms industry. In 2019, Anthony was referred to GMMH as he was suffering with depression. Anthony completed a series of online cognitive behavioural therapy sessions in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.  However, in 2021, his mental health worsened. Anthony experienced a breakdown and was ultimately made redundant from his job in February 2022. Following several months of treatment, and a diagnosis of ADHD, Anthony felt like he was ready to start looking for work again. However, as Anthony had been off work for over a year, and was taking new ADHD medications, he was keen to test the waters before applying for new roles.

Here is Anthony’s story about how he did this by attending Systematic Innovation training run by John Sainsbury, Innovation Manager, Research & Innovation, GMMH and hosted by The Recovery Academy at GMMH. 

"I’ve suffered with depression for at least ten years, maybe more. But my problems started getting worse in the last few years. In 2021, I had a breakdown. I couldn’t talk, I lost my voice. And I couldn’t get out of bed. Unfortunately my company at the time couldn’t afford to keep me on long term sick and I was made redundant. While I was receiving treatment for my depression, I was also diagnosed with ADHD and I started taking medication for that too. As I started to feel more like myself again, I began to think about going back to work. But I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to cope physically, if I had the stamina for work, and whether I would be able to focus.

"I’d been under the care of the Trafford Community Mental Health team and they suggested that I look at The Recovery Academy. I was particularly interested in a course that would allow me to test out being in a work-like environment before doing it for real I signed up for the Systematic Innovation training course as it sounded like a professional training course and would give me that taste of being back in a business environment. It also sounded like something I would be able to use in my career going forward. 

"The course was run over two days. I was particularly interested in the differences between systematic innovation to make the big leaps, and continuous improvement, and how there is a place for both within organisations. It was fascinating to learn about how to jump from one innovation curve to the next – that is how to take that big leap forward.  

"Being in the training environment and learning these skills, gave me a real confidence boost. I was also able to use some of the ideas I had learnt about, particularly how to approach a problem using a defined framework, in my interview for my current role. While I’m not directly using the systematic innovation frameworks in my day to day job, the knowledge I gained on the course helps shape my thinking about problems and solutions. The course had a direct impact on helping me get my new job, and GMMH provided good support for me during a difficult time. 

“It’s heartening to hear how the receipt of Systematic Innovation training has positively impacted on Anthony’s approach to problem exploration and solution generation, and how it has contributed to him securing a new job role,” commented John Sainsbury. “The evidence of the positive psycho-social impact of work on mental health is unquestionable. It’s good to know that Anthony has been able to find a solution to his ‘need for a satisfying job role and income’ problem, using systematic innovation.” 

For more information about Systematic Innovation training and to book onto our next course, please visit Innovation - Training | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT (gmmh.nhs.uk) 

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