(Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, March 15th, 2018): InterHealth Canada – Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital hosted a leadership forum for over 50 internal staff at the Messel Ballroom of the Palms Resort on March 9th, 2018 under the theme “Beyond the Boundaries – Elevating Leadership through Excellence & Innovation”.

The forum featured a line-up of organizational and external speakers, which included Ambassador Joan Underwood of Antigua who is a veteran senior management consultant, policy advisor and expert in training programmes for public and private sector executives. Other speakers included members of the company’s senior management team along with present and former Minister of Health and Human Services, Honorable Edwin Astwood and Honorable Doctor Rufus Ewing, respectively.

The format included a plenary session and half-day workshop to afford organizational leaders and middle management staff the opportunity for exposure to different models, best practices and application of leadership principals in an effort to stimulate self reflection and skill enhancement.

Participants were also exposed to the principles of Emotional Intelligence (EI). The EI workshop facilitated by Ambassador Underwood was designed to bridge the connection between leadership styles and the manner in which individuals recognize, connect with, and learn from their own mental and emotional state, and those of others.

During the presentations, references were made to situational leadership and the importance of morality, citing examples of prominent persons in history who used their position of authority for both positive and negative objectives. It was stressed that leadership should not be perceived as a position of authority, but rather a personal attribute which transcends hierarchy. Leaders can be found at all levels within an organization and there is a difference between ‘managers’ and ‘leaders’.

Manager of Education at InterHealth Canada – TCI Hospital, Jacqueline Moe-Cox said: “The sessions were interactive and informative; participants took the opportunity to engage in stimulating intellectual discussion with the facilitators on various aspects of leadership. The facilitator of the EI workshop used practical examples, exercises such as the Johari window and team activities to deliver an invigorating session on how Emotional Intelligence principles can be used to positively impact leadership”.
She continued: “Comments made during the session and written evaluations indicate that both sessions were well-received by participants and they left invigorated and inspired to implement some of the techniques to enhance their personal leadership skill sets to the organization’s advantage.”

ENDS