Campaign letter for RPS elections 2021: Alisha Sodhi on mentorship for pharmacists

I am standing in these elections to ensure that every pharmacist has access to inspiring mentors and coaches.

Why is this so important to me? Because it was through the kindness of others and their willingness to support my career that I was able to see just how high pharmacists can soar.

A true mentor/coach advocates for you, takes the time to not only nurture your skills and abilities, but also opens up opportunities for you. I have had incredible breakthroughs and found fulfillment within my career thanks to my mentors.  I applied to the English Pharmacy Board because I want to pay their kindness forward and powerfully serve my profession on a national scale.

But don’t just take my word for it. Take the multinational pharmaceutical organisation GSK’s research on how coaching was used to develop their female leaders.

Researcher Sally Bonneywell explored how coaching impacted female leaders at GSK and published her findings within the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring.

The coaching was found to be impactful as it enabled their female leaders to work on their internal world. Leaders reported that as their self-development, knowledge of themselves and self-confidence grew, so did their awareness of their own self leadership.

Through coaching they built upon their ‘capability’, and began to put in place the solid foundations essential to todays’ leadership positions such as impact, presence and the ability to influence across boundaries.

This is why I advocate that everyone should have access to a coach or mentor. No matter how difficult the road might be, someone has already travelled it and can light the way for you.

Alisha Sodhi, election candidate, English pharmacy board, Royal Pharmaceutical Society