Keith Saddler, Director, Business Support Unit, Lloyds Banking Group
Keith explains how he benefits from being a PilotlighterWhat motivated you to get involved with Pilotlight?
I wanted to get involved in some form of Charity work, but was finding it difficult to identify a cause I could fully commit to whilst juggling a busy work and home life. Pilotlight struck me as a great opportunity to put my skills to good use, hopefully make a real difference to the charity we supported, whilst being realistic about the free time I had available. I had previously been involved with some 'hand's on' work for a charity which I genuinely enjoyed, but saw Pilotlight as an opportunity to get involved at a more strategic level, adding value, but at the same time learning about the particular challenges the sector faces.
How have you helped the charity/social enterprise you are working with?
The particular charity I was involved with was very well run and added huge value to the local community. The difficulty they faced was in agreeing their strategic direction at a Board level. The Pilotlight team helped them think through the various options, living them tools to critically analyse the alternatives, whilst at the same time providing (friendly!) challenge. Communication was also an issue and the differing views of the management were not always shared which led to a lack of direction. Through our discussions we were able to open up communication channels and get the Board on the same page strategically.
What have you learned from the experience?
How to think out of the box! Charities face huge challenges that we don't experience in the private sector – principally around financing. Solutions that may be quick to identify in my day job, can't always be applied in the voluntary sector and it took some time to fully appreciate that. Having a team of four professionals from different disciplines advising the charity brought some interesting and varied perspectives.
What do you think your company has gained from you being a Pilotlighter?
I am more likely to explore a variety of solutions to a problem and less prone to leap to what I consider to be the most obvious course of action!
What would you say to other people thinking about becoming Pilotlighters?
It is a great opportunity to develop personally and professionally whilst using your skills to benefit others – a win-win scenario!
