Little Wisdoms, Big Change – Beth Vaughan

From how to build a cracking team, to unearthing the kernel of insight that was pivotal to a behavioural change intervention, this series from Claremont is an opportunity to hear from the brilliant minds working to bring about positive social change.

Beth Vaughan, Head of Communications at Big Change

Q1. What’s one thing you learnt early on in your career that has stuck with you ever since?

Ditch the corporate personas, speak human, be human, and prioritise having fun with your team, your colleagues, whoever you work with, every single day. Sounds simple but so often we forget to relate to each other as human beings when looming deadlines and work stresses overwhelm.

Q2. What insights sit at the heart of some of the work you are most proud of? How did you find them?

Never stop asking questions. The more you ask the less likely you are to make assumptions and avoid those pesky miscommunications. I’ve learnt to trust the maxim ‘there are no stupid questions’. Both asking them and encouraging others to do the same has led to some of my most creative and interesting work. It has surfaced ideas that wouldn’t have come about if we hadn’t delved deep with those searching questions.

Q3. What skills, values or attributes are needed in a team seeking to bring about positive change and why?

Harnessing the power of the passionate, opinionated, creative people who have a burning desire to change the world is key to building positive change. Boundary setting at the beginning of a project will help to harness these wonderful attributes. And ensuring there is a healthy mix of the practical and pragmatic with the visionary and ambitious will lay strong foundations in any team.

Q4. What is your favourite behaviour change / social good campaign from the last 12 months and why?

There are so many powerful campaigns around it is hard to choose. I love the work of ‘Pregnant Then Screwed’, the March of the Mummies taking action on the streets was an exciting moment for all women. At the moment I’m watching the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’ campaign very closely and I’m willing it to be successful. The message at the heart is simple – We believe childhood is too short to be spent on a smartphone – and thousands of parents across the country are signing up to this. Building consensus and relationships between schools and parents is a smart (excuse the pun) move and it is gaining traction as schools sign up to banning smartphones. It is exciting to see a campaign that challenges the status quo, and takes on a problem that on the face of it looks entrenched.

Q5. If you could change one thing about the past, present or future, what would it be?

Gosh, one thing is hard as I’ve learnt so much along the way. Hindsight and all that. But if I had to choose I would change my fear that I wasn’t enough, that I wasn’t smart enough, creative enough, knowledgeable enough. It held me back from stepping up with confidence. But (looking for a silver lining), despite the downsides, it drove me to keep learning and along the way it has been at the heart of my many hard won wisdoms.

Q6. What have you read / watched / listened to lately that you have found particularly insightful?

I’ve just finished a wonderful book by Stefan Stern called Fair or Foul: The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition. It is a deeply thoughtful and beautifully written exploration of our knotty relationship with ambition. As Stefan points out, we often shy away from ambition, fearful of hubris and aware of its potential pitfalls. But, he shows, that handled with care, harnessing our ambitions on thoughtful terms and in intentional ways can lead to a deeper more interesting path in life.