ANZCA Bulletin June 2012 - final.pdf - Australian and New Zealand ...

New Fellows’ConferenceLeaders – born or made?Leadership earned or learned?These were just some ofthe questions we wanted toexplore during the 2012 NewFellows’ Conference (NFC).“Team Leadership in Anaesthesia” tookplace on May 9-11, prior to the Perth ASM.Our aim was to put together a thoughtprovokingprogram, showcasing aspectsof anaesthetic leadership outside theusual theatre setting and, in the process,providing delegates with some newskills and ideas about leadership.After gathering at the Perth Conventionand Exhibition Centre, we had a threehour bus ride in the rain to the beautifulsurrounds of Caves House in Yallingup,Western Australia.To get tired legs moving, and to get toknow each other, our first session was aseries of team challenges. Figuring out thestrengths and weaknesses in our teams tosolve the various puzzles culminated inthe teams having to cross an imaginarycrocodile-infested ravine with two shortplanks, two milk crates and an iron bar.Everyone made it out alive to the otherside. The “time machine challenge”record time previously set by the AFLEagles team was well and truly smashedby our anaesthetists, a feat to rememberby all.This was followed by a relaxedsundowner, which included a winetasting run by Howard Park Winery,before an informal sit-down dinner infront of a roaring fireplace strengtheningnew acquaintances.Our second day commenced with earlymorning jogging and swimming for thesuperfit. The next workshop, presentedby Anveeta Shrivastava and WynandHamman from Deloitte Consulting, tookus through understanding cognitivetypes, and how individuals respond todifferent motivators and inspirations.We were able to type ourselves into thefour categories of the Hermann-BrainDominance Instrument, which werecolour-coded, resulting in the groupreferring themselves by their “colour”for the remainder of the conference.After a scenario role play, we learnt aboutleadership and followership archetypes,and how an understanding of theseallows for successful team interactions.This stimulating workshop wasfollowed in the afternoon by aninteractive panel discussion session,with the aim of debating issues requiringanaesthesia leadership outside thetheatre environment. Our esteemedpanel consisted of Dr Mary Pinder, FICMExaminations Chair, Dr Justin Burke, NewFellows’ Councillor, Dr Prani Shrivastava,Welfare SIG Chair, Dr David Scott, ANZCAcouncillor and councillor in residence atthe 2012 NFC and Dr Emily Wilcox, therepresentative from the 2011 NFC.Topics covered included how we dealwith being a role model, a position ofunconscious and unchosen leadership(leading to a discussion thread on theneed to improve mentoring of newFellows); how we deal with ethical issuesarising from our responsibilities to actin our patients’ best interest and be niceto our surgical colleagues; and whetherwe have created unrealistic expectationsin the community regarding the role ofthe anaesthetist. This was successful instimulating debate and discussion, whichcontinued after David Scott’s talk relatingthe journey of his involvement in theCollege, into the Conference Dinner heldat Cullen’s Winery.Cullen’s Winery is a renownedorganic winery in the region, with a longassociation with the medical community.Dinner was one of the highlights of themeeting, with a short talk from VanyaCullen, Chief Winemaker at Cullen’s,showcasing leadership in the winemakingindustry with their sustainable biodynamiccultivation. A special tasting of someof their premium wines pre-empted afantastic meal showcasing local produce.Nearly everyone made it out of bed intime the next morning for Mary Pinder’sworkshop on debriefing after medicaldisaster. This involved small groupsworking together on various hypotheticalscenarios to identify issues and learninghow to design a debriefing plan.After concluding the conference withthe election of a representative for nextyear’s NFC, we embarked on the bustrip back to Perth, with many noisy andexcited conversations taking place amongnew friends and associates across theAustralasian regions.Dr Angeline LeeDr Irina KurowskiNew Fellows Conference Co-convenorsAbove from left: New Fellows Conferencedelegates; Teamwork was needed to crossthe (imaginary) “crocodile-infested ravine”.19