Med-Tech Innovation Expo: Meet the speaker: Aly King-Smith, Clearworks

Clearworks was founded in 2013 by Aly King-Smith who is a principal consultant, writer and speaker operating in the world of smart STEM leaders. She has built a team of experts with specialist skills to deliver robust, measurable impact on behaviours, conversations and leadership capability in this sector.

Imagine what could happen to fast-growing medtech or biotech organisations if they had inspirational leadership confidence and courage across the board. Imagine how much more effective conversations, decisions and plans could become if everyone belonged to a truly high performing team.

After a lifetime celebrating correctness, accuracy and specific knowledge, it’s a tough ask for smart technical experts and scientists to move to a more intuitive, whole-hearted, whole-self leadership style. And heaven knows, we need more whole-hearted leaders globally at the moment, right?

This is the sweet spot for the Clearworks team, on a mission to be consistently the best in class for developing exceptional leaders in this sector.

After more than 15 years working as an executive coach and boardroom facilitator across many sectors, founder of Clearworks, Aly King-Smith, became fascinated with the challenges of this fast-paced world which is so critical and life-changing for patients. What if she could build an organisation that specifically focused on accelerating progress in this sector, by developing exceptional leaders and teams more quickly? King-Smith started her career as a surgical physiotherapist, and moved into commercial roles in the pharmaceutical and vaccine industries in the 90s, before her move into organisational and people development. She became compelled by the need to accelerate progress in this sector. 

Since 2013, King-Smith has been gathering specialist executive coaches and lead team facilitators to deliver specifically in the STEM, biotech and pharma sectors. Aware of the growing amount of unregulated coaching flooding the market, she focuses on the ‘curated’ team of experts - known and trusted, assessed, insured, qualified, developed - all of whom deliver specific expertise for this sector. The team now delivers diagnostics, coaching, training and facilitation across the UK and Europe, individually and for lead teams and groups.

This is the first time Clearworks will attend the MedTech Expo and the company is excited to meet visitors and fellow exhibitors.

King-Smith will be on the Introducing Stage to outline a case study of one of Clearworks’ flagship programmes, the Clearworks Coaching Circles.

The affordable Clearworks Coaching Circles bring executive coaching to more leaders more quickly.  Brave behaviour change is accelerated by small groups of leaders working with the same executive coach for a term of six or twelve months. The Circles build accountability, drive and connection, building positive, courageous conversations as a norm. Organisations use them to push for more progress in focus areas, such as ‘retaining top talent’ or ‘women in leadership’. They’re also highly effective for aspiring leaders: ‘readiness for leadership’; such a key gap in the science sector, where accidental heroes are common.. be a great scientist and suddenly you’re head of department...!

The groups that King-Smith will describe at the Expo were commissioned by a biotech that was losing women in senior leadership. They had no idea why. The groups led to an increase in retention and promotion, as well as the unexpected benefit of driving a coaching culture and improving the skills of the leaders with their own people.

The Circles focus on one’s own personal and leadership style. This is where the magic of the Clearworks Circle lies, as senior leaders work together on their own ‘stuff’ and behaviours, in an accountable group.

After hosting a year of Circles as a pilot, the organisation has now commissioned further groups, as they make the programme a permanent part of the curriculum, and previous members take a multiplier role in embedding changes across their teams.

Big consultancy coaching without the big consultancy price tag. Every organisation has its own unique leadership challenges, and the Clearworks team is established, innovative and courageous.