The story of a storyteller: dropping your armour and speaking openly at a Schwartz Round
17 January 2023 Schwartz Community Voices
Carl Betts uses his personal experience to offer advice for anyone thinking about telling their story in a Schwartz Round.
Topics and programmes
In the ambulance sector we are still very much behind the curve of emotional care of our workforce. This is partly because services are stretched to breaking point and partly because talking about how we feel is still a very new concept. That trend is slowly (very slowly) changing. I hope over time the curve will steepen to a point where we can freely talk about how we feel and how our work affects us. I want this to be the ‘new normal’.
The power of storytelling
Alongside my role as a paramedic for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, I am also the Schwartz Round lead for the organisation. The Trust began considering the use of Schwartz Rounds around the same time I started to explore the power of sharing reflective pieces. I saw the power of storytelling when sharing my experiences and became interested in how it could benefit the Trust and wider system.
Schwartz Rounds can help make positive changes to organisational cultures. But one of the many barriers I have experienced when it comes to organising Schwartz Rounds is finding storytellers. In fact, I started to write this piece because of an email I received from another organisation who stated that they were having difficulties finding people to speak at their sessions.
As I have told stories at a few Rounds, I want to offer a personal, open, and honest account of my experience. I do this in the hope of offering some support to others who may have the desire to tell their story but are worried or apprehensive.
Sharing your story
In my experience, the benefits of storytelling really do outweigh the potential negatives. One of the main reasons people are hesitant to tell their story is the vulnerability that you experience – after all, you are going to share a story that may have pressed some pretty deep emotional buttons. I know mine did.
If you want to be a storyteller, it will help if you take part in previous Rounds so that you have a good idea of what to expect. The build-up to the event and the pre-meets are an important part of the Rounds as they will allow you to dial into your story prior to your session and thereby, increase your confidence.
With any form of public speaking, if you’re not naturally confident it will always make you feel nervous. I am a confident speaker when I’m talking about topics, facts, systems, and process, but this is most definitely not what speaking at a Round is like. Even if you are a confident public speaker there is that feeling of bearing your soul to a group of people about a topic that may bring up emotions, and this on its own can increase anxiety.
Benefits
So, you may ask the question – why on earth would I do this?
Your story could be the one thing that a person in the Round really needs to hear. It may be the thing that they have been thinking about but believed that they were the only one thinking it. It allows us to feel less isolated, knowing that we are not alone with our feelings. Without people like you who are willing to speak, a person may miss out on that pearl of wisdom that they have been looking for that you hold inside. Do not underestimate how powerful it is for someone to hear your personal account in a live, non-scripted, and very open way where it’s obvious that you’ve dropped your armour and shared a piece of your soul to benefit others. The act of doing this gives others permission to do the same, should they wish.
I’m deeply saddened that many dear friends and colleagues, both newly qualified and seasoned ambulance service colleagues, are mentally and emotionally broken due to the current situation within the health service. I really believe in the Schwartz ethos and genuinely feel that Schwartz Rounds can play an important part in looking after the mental wellbeing of each other. I feel we all have a part to play in improving our experiences at work and the way we look after our friends who may have seen sights that they cannot unsee. Therefore, I am willing to speak at Rounds as this is a way for me to support my colleagues and enable this important change of culture.
Yes, it can be nerve wracking, yes it can be a bit scary. But more importantly, it’s rewarding and cathartic – as well as being helpful to your colleagues and friends.
My experience of storytelling
I have found the whole experience of sharing my experiences humbling. It is incredibly interesting to hear how the stories I’ve offered were received and digested by the attendees of the Round. I’ve never once felt any animosity towards me or my thoughts, I’ve only ever felt complete support from the room.
If you are on the fence when it comes to deciding if you’d like to speak at a Round, I suggest that you take a breath and grasp the opportunity. I’m really pleased that I did, and it always feels worth it when one of the attendees just says, ‘thank you’. It may only be two words, but they are profound, especially when they are said from the heart.
I hope that by standing tall, dropping my armour, and being willing to talk, that I have helped someone in some way. If I have had a positive impact on someone, then any discomfort I may have felt initially was 100% worth it.
Hopefully this little piece offers you some solace and comfort around the thought of speaking at a Schwartz Round.
Thanks for reading and happy storytelling.
Email – carl.betts@nhs.net
Twitter – @CarlBetts_YASQI