People often ask me, “Is coaching really worth the money?”

Let’s be honest - we regularly spend hundreds of pounds (or other currency) each month on things that give us a quick boost: a haircut, our nails, a night out, new clothes, skincare, the latest tech. All totally valid. But how often do those things address what’s going on inside?

Radiographers are the silent heroes of diagnostics: skilled, reliable, and constantly under pressure. Yet when they perform above expectations, what do they receive in return?

Graduation season is upon us and so many times I have heard new graduates and clinical colleagues say:
“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘯 𝘟-𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘛/𝘔𝘙𝘐/𝘜𝘭𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥.”

This statement suggests that their first post is just a warm-up.
A checkbox.
A launchpad to something “𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.”

But here’s the thing:
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺.

When we explain “why”, and not just "what", we start investing in others. We pass on clinical wisdom that no policy document can teach. We build safer practices, stronger critical thinking, and deeper trust.

Radiography is at a turning point.
The systems we’ve relied on for decades are under pressure, and the traditional career ladder often no longer fits the evolving needs and aspirations of today’s workforce.

Enter the idea of a 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.
One that values 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆, and 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

Radiography today isn’t what it was 20 years ago - or even 10.
Radiography has transformed. From AI integration and interventional imaging to advanced practice and digital health, the profession has, and continues to, evolve faster than ever. But while the technology and clinical capabilities have grown, our career frameworks haven’t kept up.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀?
Because somewhere along the way, we stopped treating them as conversations, and started treating them as compliance.
Another box to tick.
Another task to survive.

Because appraisals are emotional terrain.
They’re not just about objectives and ratings.
They’re about identity, value, and growth.

Let’s talk about something crucial that doesn’t get enough airtime:

𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧.

So what is talent management?
It’s the everyday practice of attracting, growing, and keeping great people. It’s about helping individuals stretch their skills, find meaning, and see a future, right where they are.

At the start of my career, appraisals were something I dreaded. The idea of sitting across from someone, having my work picked apart, made me uncomfortable. The lead-up was filled with anxiety. But when the meeting finally arrived, I was told something that felt, at first, like a relief:

"You’re doing fine."
"You’re working at a satisfactory level."

No harsh criticism.
No major concerns.
No changes.
At first, I thought, "Okay, this is good. I’m not doing anything wrong."
But then, something hit me.
“𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆” 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

The reality is we live with a dual role tension.
𝗗𝗿 𝗝𝗲𝗸𝘆𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿: visionary, human-centred, future-focused
𝗠𝗿 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿: precise, responsive, focused on outcomes
And service managers must hold both roles.

Healthcare budgets are tight and CPD time pressured. So if we want to protect opportunities like conferences, we need to demonstrate their impact, not just for our professional growth, but for patient outcomes and departmental improvements.

Here is a 3 step approach to evidence conference attendance return on investment.

You’ve mapped your vision (#11 post). 

You’ve thought deeply about where you want to go. 

That clarity is powerful.

But clarity without action? 

Its like having a map but never starting the journey

So how do you start moving forward without feeling overwhelmed?

Here are 5 powerful moves to get you started.

If your career feels like it’s drifting along on autopilot, it’s time to take control and create your vision.

Too often, we let the demands of day-to-day activties dictate our direction. But without a clear vision of what we want our future career to look like, it's easy to become stuck on a plateau.

If this feels like you then it's time to change that.

If the S-Curve (#9 post) taught us anything, it’s this:
𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀.

But what holds us back from leaping to that next curve?

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲.

There comes a point in every radiography career where things start to feel… automatic. You position patients, interpret images, follow protocols, manage workflows and lead not out of challenge, but routine.
That’s not stagnation.
That's 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆.
You've reached the top of your current 𝗦-𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲.

Too often, I hear experienced profesionals talk about career growth like it has an expiration date - as if their best years are behind them.

But that’s just 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲.

You want to move forward with your career.
You're ready for the next step.
You know you're doing a good job.
But you're still waiting for someone to notice your potential.

This scenario is all too common.
Hard work is powerful - but it’s 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱.

Let’s talk about something that's rarely named but is quietly draining our profession:

𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗢𝗠

We often link burnout to being 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗱.
But what if burnout is also happening because we’re 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗱?

In radiography, we put a great deal of focus on capturing the right images, using the correct protocols, and getting the results that matter. But in the middle of all that clinical precision, we often miss something just as critical: how we communicate.

We’ve all heard it, and maybe even said it ourselves:
“It’s just part of the job.”
“We’re used to being stretched.”
“You’ve got to be tough in this role.”

This mindset is all too common in radiography, and wider healthcare too.
But here’s the truth:
Burnout is 𝗡𝗢𝗧 a badge of honour.
It’s 𝗡𝗢𝗧 a rite of passage.
It’s 𝗡𝗢𝗧 a measure of your strength.
And it’s definitely 𝗡𝗢𝗧 sustainable.

But is does creep up on you