Minister, Advisory Board members, Fellows, and Colleagues, it is a great honour and privilege to share these few thoughts about the CDPB Fellowship programme.

Thank you, Zach and Eva for the opportunity and for such a much needed platform and programme. Thank you to the sponsors and the support by Allstate NI, FinTrU, Fujitsu NI, Ulster Carpets, the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade

To all the guest speakers, contributors and organisations who made our programme seamless, invigorating and such an empowering and progressive experience; On behalf of the CDPB Fellowship class of 2023, Thank you.

A massive congratulations to my programme Fellows, you guys are remarkable and inspirational; the humour, the brain muscle, the dialogue, collaboration, teamwork, networking and camaraderie made this programme a huge success and brought to life the essence of the spirit of possibility.

The Fellowship Programme:

The Fellowship Programme:

• A pivotal experience and space for rethinking, learning and transformative exchanges.
• Re-ignited my passion and commitment to do better and to be better.
• Enhanced my skills and capacity and I am better equipped to continue to contribute more effectively to a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Northern Ireland.
• Enabled me rethink leadership and re-imagine trust.
• Added value – personally, professionally and socially.

(1) Personally: Encountered ‘Leapers’ [for example Ryan], Bridge Builders and Tradition Holders. Thanks to Allison – Spark Coaching for the ice breaking exercise at the start of the programme.

(2) Professionally – Ability to question success! Creation of meaning, purpose and trust whilst working to make a difference

(3) Socially – Relationship building: I didn’t want to miss out on the fun and camaraderie so I entered a pub for the first time in almost 13 years. AND, let’s just say some stories in Dublin and Oxford University will
remain very memorable.

To fully appreciate the impact the programme has made and what has changed I have categorised my reflection into three components:

• Where I was before the programme
• What happened during the programme
• Where I am now.

So where was I Pre Fellowship Programme?

I had just fully transitioned from a 24/7 contract management position for the Home Office (HO) Commercial and Operating Managers Procuring Asylum Support (COMPASS) contract for Dispersal Accommodation. COMPASS was subcontracted to the NIHE by Orchard and Shipman and then later Serco for “People Seeking Sanctuary” in Northern Ireland. I managed the contract with a small team for 6 years.

As Contract Manager, I worked with a consortium of private landlords and had the responsibility for managing over 200 private rented properties/ units of accommodation. This housed over 900 individuals and families by 2019 when the contract ended.

By the end of the contract in 2019, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted, drained of energy and motivation.

Compliance with HO requirements/KPIs, building control requirements and personal safety and wellbeing for service users and at the same time, managing expectations from minoritised communities and support organisations became increasingly challenging. My zest and passion for engaging with complexity, innovation, and new ideas were stretched began to fade away.

The encounter – spirit of possibility – what happened

From the launch of the programme on the 6th of September 2022 in Stormont, Parliament Buildings to the presentation of our project on the 23rd of Feb 2023, the experience was one of learning, reflection, rethinking, networking and having positive and productive conversations. Relationships and friendships have been built. We have had many outcome focussed conversations. We have given and / or received mutual encouragement and support from the speakers and from each other.

The ability to be open; to listen, hear and reflect was crucial, and as one of the guest speakers told us: “Before you think outside the box, think on it’s edges, it’s corners, it’s flaps and under the bar code”

For me, one of the first speakers – set the tone for the programme – Professor Mike Hardy: He said don!t tell your colleagues what you do but tell them why you do it. He referred to compassionate collaboration, the need to build friendships and relationships. Made reference to the importance of Leadership and Trust. He said: Do it differently – DO it better! One of the comments that stuck with me is the need to falsify old assumptions that are untrue – culturally, emotionally, intellectually, traditionally, etc.

********** CALL TO ACTION – TO THE 2022/2023 FELLOWS **********

• To my co fellows – First call to action: We must falsify old assumptions that are untrue. In our businesses, personal and professional spaces. Let’s have the courage to do things differently and the boldness to do them better.

Leadership must not just be about doing the right things… but it must also embrace doing things in the right way.

In the words of Elif Shafak – “How to stay sane in an age of Division” one of the books recommended – she said – We should not be afraid of complexity – but afraid of people who promise an easy shortcut to simplicity.

The strap line – “spirit of possibility” in my view, is a spirit of interdependence; it is a spirit of collaboration not competition, one of corporation not confrontation; it’s a spirit of dialogue not division; a spirit of engagement and not tribal politics. it’s a spirit of connectivity and inclusivity; not exclusion and marginalisation. The spirit of possibility is a call to action!

• Second call to action: We must seek to unleash the potential of human social capital regardless of our differences -political, cultural, religious, traditional, biological, etc. Life is not always about agreeing or disagreeing, sometimes it’s about creating a conducive environment – one that enables healthy engagement and the flourishing of ideas, innovation, collaboration, peace and enhances a culture of participation, and empowerment.

New cognitive and emotional capacities deserve healthy spaces to thrive. Our optimism and reality should give us the permission – not to be afraid to acknowledge a bad situation whilst visualising and woking for a brighter and
better future for Northern Ireland.

• Third call to action – Together, we must continue to visualise and work for a brighter and better future and growth for Northern Ireland; creating meaning and purpose as we contend with complexity and continue to make a difference in our respective fields.

Tim O’ Connor in our residential in Dublin talked about Intergenerational continuum – ‘Men and nations do behave wisely when all other options have been exhausted. It is for each generation to write its own story’

• Fourth call to action: Our cohort, this cohort must continue to write its own positive story, a story of solidarity, of compassionate collaboration, a story of partnership, peace, empathy; one of possibilities and sustainability beyond today. We must continue to create a safe space for healthy intellectual and emotional curiosity.

The spirit of possibility is a spirit of conviction. I recall one of the exercises we were given regarding our project and I think the question was how many of us thought our project proposal / vision was achievable? We were asked to move to the left I realised that our group number was getting thinner and smaller as we moved to the left. The MME team’s project proposal was by 2027, at all levels of NI government, a minimum of 2% reps will be from minority ethnic communities. To the MME team and for the great project and team work – Thank you and many congratulations.

Where I am now – “The Me Now.”

During our media training at CoolFM, Baur Media (Thanks to David Tighe and CoolFM Team ) – we were told: “Education without action is entertainment.” We must take everything we have learned and continue to work together to translate them to practical action where possible and in a sustainable way.

Before the programme I was a “leaper” and I was tired of “leaping.” Having gone through the CDPB Fellowship programme I am still a leaper BUT with new springs to my heel and my “bridge building” wings have been revived.

These sentiments may be echoed by some of the Fellows. The Fellowship programme has given me a renewed sense of purpose, vigour, focus and passion. It has made me more agile, adaptable and flexible. I have embarked on an academic study on Leadership Agility. I have become proactive again, following retirement in 2013 from community and civic society organisations. As the saying goes, I have got “my mojo” back and long may it last.

The miracle isn’t that we finished. The miracle is that we had the courage to start.

John Bingham.

Thank you