Voices of Ovation – Finding Opportunity Through Change

Voices of Ovation is a special segment on our Ovation Learning Institute podcast where we shine a light on the inspiring individuals and their extraordinary stories that strengthen and encourage local communities. From passionate team members to devoted partners, Voices of Ovation celebrates the personal stories and achievements that drive meaningful change in the healthcare landscape.

In this episode, Program Manager for the Ovation Learning Institute, David Winchester, speaks with Ovation Healthcare’s Director of People Development & Training, Anna Saunderson. Anna leads strategic initiatives in talent development, leadership, and organizational culture. Educated at the University of Cambridge in England, where she studied Social Anthropology, Anna developed a deep curiosity about global cultures and human behavior—an interest that sparked her passion for HR. With over two decades of international experience across the financial services and healthcare sectors, she brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to building high-performing, inclusive workplaces that drive business success.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the Ovation Healthcare Learning Institute podcast, your source for informative and inspiring conversations around the world of healthcare. In this unique segment, discover the individuals and organizations making a positive impact on the healthcare industry and bettering the health and economic wellness of their communities. Join us as we explore their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. Here on the voices of ovation. Hi everyone, we are thrilled you're here to join us. I'm today's host, David Winchester, Program Manager for the Ovation Healthcare Learning Institute. In today's episode, we'll be speaking with Ovation Healthcare's Director of People Development and Training, Anna Saunderson. Anna leads strategic initiatives in talent development, leadership, and organizational culture. Educated at the University of Cambridge in England, where she studied social anthropology, Anna developed a deep curiosity about global cultures and human behavior, an interest that sparked her passion for HR. With over two decades of international experience across the financial services and healthcare sectors, she brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to building high-performing, inclusive workplaces that drive business success. Anna, thank you so much for joining us today. I have been looking forward to having you on our podcast now for a while. So why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to ovation healthcare?

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Awesome. Thank you, David. Very privileged to be here as well. So let me tell you a little bit about my career. I actually started at life as a tax consultant with KPMG for a few years and then morphed into the child space, which is where you find me now. I've worked there for about 20 years and then most recently focused on learning and development and talent strategy. My time in tax very much taught me about the value of time, right? So I had to fill in timesheets for every six minutes of my time and you know what I had completed during that time. So my time in HR is very much about helping leaders who can drive results and developing them, they can drive results. And so turning strategy into practical people solutions, I think, is at the core of me. And then in terms of ovation, wow, what an opportunity. So whilst I come from a busy metropolis, uh London, uh, which you'll probably hear from the accent, my parents are actually from rural India. And so I have seen firsthand the power of independent community healthcare, or indeed lack thereof. So really the opportunity to work with ovation and its mission, you know, combined with that ability to support community hospitals, really spoke to me. And the last thing I'll say is that I'm fortunate enough to work for a really visionary leader, and Keila Sweeney. She's really focused on be building leadership capability here throughout the organization, you know, and through all leadership titles. So that's really what brought me here.

SPEAKER_02 3:24

Well, Anna, we are also glad that your uh your steps have led you to ovation healthcare, and we are so glad that you're here. How have your experiences shaped your perspective on resilience and opportunity?

unknown 3:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

Um I love that question, David. Even before we started this podcast, we were having a little bit of laugh about language. So I've recently moved uh from London, England to Tennessee, and even just language and how it presents itself to the different populations is a is a big learning for me. I think one of the things, both even in that move, whether it's moving country or moving your organization, that I've learned about resilience is it's not about having all the answers and you know opportunities presenting themselves as fully formed. Um, but for me, it's about staying curious, you know, being willing to fail, fall down, and get up quickly and continuing to learn. So that's it, that's that's definitely something that I know when I'm working with leaders or when I have worked with leaders, just helping them focus on that, developing that capacity to learn and really to adapt to change. None of us have the luxury of you know coming into work every day and knowing exactly what we're going to do. The rate of change at the moment in the workplace seems relentless. One of the things that we're looking to cultivate here at Ovation is our ability to deal with change at the pace that it's demanded of us. So, one of the things that we're investing quite heavily in is developing that change capability. I am a pro si certified change management practitioner and trainer, and so we've delivered a number of courses already focusing on change management, most recently to Chris Wolfe's team in leadership advisory. So we're looking to build more of that capability. You asked about my personal experiences, so it's really about staying curious and being able to learn from those around me.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

So, is there any other advice that you would give emerging leaders on resilience and uh change management?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Yeah, ask for help if you need it. So uh again, don't be backwards in coming forwards if the if you're if you don't understand something or something seems a bit off, it just may be that you come with a different life experience, kind of like I do from a different country, but be quick to ask and be quick to learn. There's a piece of research actually from McKinsey that says that over 70% of sort of large-scale changes or transformations fail, not because the solution wasn't worked on, but just because people weren't involved in terms of bringing that change along. So, yeah, ask questions, stay curious, be humble.

SPEAKER_02 6:17

I love the the comment that you made, you know, don't move backwards to go forward. Why is it that you think that it's sometimes difficult for us to ask for help?

SPEAKER_01 6:27

I wonder if it's if I ask for help, how will that look on me? Does that mean that I'm less qualified to do my job than people think? Um will that show a level of vulnerability? Who knows? I mean, I one of the things that that drove our mentoring program that we set up here last year in ovation was exactly that. We wanted to set up a cadre of people who you can go to without any, you know, fear of um kind of consequence where you can speak freely, ask your questions. And so I did want to get a plug-in here. If you you know want to have that ability to talk freely and ask about your journey here at ovation, kind of outside of your direct direct management line, but we have a mentoring program that you can get involved in.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

And how would somebody go around about getting involved in the mentor program?

SPEAKER_01 7:21

Absolutely. So you can either ask me and get involved. Alternatively, we run a training every the first Friday of every month. It's advertised on our Bravo or Motorosity platform. As some of you may know, it's a it's a Teams training. So jump on board and let's have a chat. Otherwise, you can just ask me directly through Teams or email, whatever is easiest for you.

SPEAKER_02 7:43

All right, great. Thanks. Now, Anna, you mentioned that you came from London, the big metropolis of London. And I know that you and your family moved here to Tennessee area just a a few years ago. So tell me, I mean, you've gone through many personal transitions and professional transitions over the last few years. So what advice would you give someone who is starting over in a new place, whether personally or professionally?

SPEAKER_01 8:11

Ooh, okay. Great question. So I think I'd probably reiterate a little bit of what I um answered last time. So the ability to adapt and stay curious and keep on growing is absolutely key. Optimism and a good helping of faith also helps too. But again, I think I've noticed this honestly globally, David. So, you know, whether it's a country move or a country stay, I just feel the perspective of today's workplaces, things are rapidly changing, right? Whether it's technology, whether it's expectations of what's um what I need to do in the workplace, just business demands are evolving faster than ever. So again, I'd encourage people making those transitions that the ones that succeed aren't necessarily those with all the answers or the most prestigious experience. I used to work in a in a very large global bank that employs over 150,000 staff globally. And what I've learned is no matter how sophisticated the strategy, it's your ability to communicate, to build relationships with others that will determine your success. Another little plug, it's something that I'm really excited about, one of the programs that we've just started here at Ovation, which really encourages this, is called the Catalyst Program. It's a leadership development program, it's on its first run now. So if you haven't heard about it, you will soon. But it's a program that helps leaders tackle business challenges whilst building relationships across the organization. So that's a really key part of what we're doing. Another thing in terms of that theme around building relationships and communication is that we are introducing a new employee engagement survey with a tool called Picon. It's gonna help our managers really understand the heartbeat of their teams, you know, what motivates them, what demotivates them, what enables them to go that extra mile and really drive business performance. So a few things that we've got in the system that you will be hearing more about soon. But ultimately, that piece around resilience and opportunity, I'd say stay connected, build relationships, and get involved.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

That is a good recipe for success, that is for sure. And uh, I really like the part about building community. So I'm sure there's going to be ways that your office is going to be able to let employees of Ovation know how we can build community within our departments and then overall through the whole company. So I look forward to that. Anna, I understand that you and your husband recently bought your first home here in the States, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Did, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Congratulations. So, what were your first impressions of Tennessee compared to London?

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Yeah. So we've actually been visiting Tennessee uh for a few number of years. We have family here. It's really become uh like a second home for us, but we decided to make the move uh permanently when our eldest children decided to study here and subsequently settled down. I think, in terms of difference, one of the things I know you visited London yourself, David, as well, but one of the things that really is a difference is case. So London is fast moving, it's busy. I love how Tennessee places, I think, a greater emphasis on relationships and community. That really speaks to me. And then from a business standpoint, what I really enjoy is the optimism and quite frankly, the level of um entrepreneurial thinking. There's a there's a definite belief here that you know challenges could be solved, should be solved, and we can make it happen. So those are some of the differences, if you will, that I think I've enjoyed in moving here.

SPEAKER_02 12:09

Now, was there anything about the American culture that surprised you?

SPEAKER_00 12:14

A few things that are definitely new to us. So ranch dressing is one, David, which I alluded to before. I don't know if I'm saying that correctly.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

But yeah, I would say the the entrepreneurial spirit, you know, we've got this, we can make this happen. Not not so much that it surprised me as I often worked with American firms and organizations from London, but it's very refreshing, that's what I'll say.

SPEAKER_02 12:39

All right. Well, Anna, if listeners take away from today's conversation, what would you want that to be?

SPEAKER_01 12:45

I would want people to think about and ponder that growth rarely happens in your comfort zone. Or at least that's been my experience. I think that moments that have had the greatest impact both on my career and personally have been those times when I haven't felt perhaps fully as prepared as I might be, and I'm stepping into something new. Genuinely were times when you know I didn't feel that I had all the answers, I wasn't fully prepared, but I was stepping to something new. And really the industry that we're in, healthcare, with the just the rate of change, how it's evolving, whether it's advances in technology, AI, um, expectations of us, all of us as a workforce force, or indeed, you know, the operational demands, but just the ability to stay curious, to embrace change, to be fearless walking into uncertainty. Um, but do, you know, get down, get busy, ask for help, learn your trade and your craft well, and then see where opportunity takes you. That is what I would that's what I would encourage people to think on.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

Thank you very much, Anna. I appreciate that. Well, this brings us to the end of our episode. Thank you so much, Anna, for taking the time to be in with us today. And thank you, our listeners, for tuning in. We hope that you've enjoyed this special voices of ovation episode. And don't forget to subscribe and follow us on LinkedIn and at Ovation Healthcare.