Scaling the LCP Climbing Wall
Exploring skills on secondment and finding their footing in Health Analytics - Iris Shrestha and Sara Holloway share their experiences of shifting careers. They share what they’ve learned, how they’ve grown, and why saying yes (even when it’s scary) can lead to great things.
Exploring Skills on Secondment
Iris Shrestha recently completed a six-month secondment with LCP Delta, embracing a growth mindset, testing his skills in a new environment and discovering what’s possible when you say yes to challenge.
"I hadn’t fully appreciated how transferable many of my skills were and how they could be used until they were really tested."
What sparked your curiosity to do a secondment?
I always thought it was great that LCP has other departments that are smaller and growing. When I saw the secondments advertised, the idea that you could go from pensions to energy was something I found really unique. I wanted to explore that and try something new.
Aaron regularly talks about how transferable our consulting skills are, and I was curious to put that to the test and see how I would fare. I also wanted to build my LCP network – it's going to be more important to have links between departments as LCP continues to grow and diversify its services.
What was the experience like?
I really enjoyed it! I wasn’t sure what to expect working in London instead of Winchester, but everyone was incredibly welcoming. That’s something I’ve come to really appreciate about LCP – you can be in a completely different department or office location and it all feels like the same LCP.
The learning curve was pretty steep, but I enjoyed discovering new things and working with colleagues who have so much knowledge and experience. I got involved in a lot of the work, but there was lots of Googling, lots of asking questions and lots of asking ChatGPT! That mix of training and on-the-job learning got me up to speed quickly, and I soon felt I was adding a lot more value.
What type of projects did you work on?
I was in the Power group, where a lot of the work involved running models and interpreting the results to the client. It’s similar to the work I did in pensions actuarial in that sense - using complex models to get meaningful insights and then communicate those clearly to clients. While the models and the content were different, I hadn’t fully appreciated how transferable many of my skills were - including data analytics and producing clear advice - and how they could be used until they were really tested.
A highlight for me during secondment was presenting to the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, helping shape their policy with our modelling advice. It felt great to be involved in something so important and like I was doing my bit for it.
What new skills or strengths did you develop?
I continued to hone my technical skills, but I think the biggest gain was in my softer skills development. LCP Delta being a smaller department meant I was exposed to range of different client activities, helping me build those skills quicker.
Throughout the whole process, feedback and an open mind to growth remained a big part of my development. I had regular catch-ups with my appraiser to discuss my goals and the projects I’d like to get involved in. After each project, my appraiser would speak to colleagues I’d worked with, which really helped me identify my strengths and what I could develop further – especially with only 6 months with the team and wanting to make the most of the experience.
What surprised you most?
How much I liked being in learning mode! Delta covers such a large part of the energy market - no two projects are ever the same, so that learning never stopped. Also being in a completely new environment, learning new skills and learning how to work with new people was a really enjoyable challenge.
Would you recommend a secondment to others?
Definitely! It’s a great way to learn, grow and meet new people in the business. I think it's good for LCP and it's good for you to build those networks and try something completely new. I’m really grateful I had the opportunity to try something completely new and I will soon be a permanent member of the LCP Delta team, after applying for one of their vacancies. Completing the secondment gave me the confidence to go for it and was a brilliant way to gain new skills, boost my confidence and grow my network.
"Throughout the whole process, feedback and an open mind to growth remained a big part of my development."
Finding My Footing in Health Analytics
Following a 10-year career in Digital Services at LCP, Sara Holloway made the decision to stretch her skills in Health Analytics. She reflects on her journey, stepping outside of her comfort zone and saying yes to new opportunities.
"Ask questions, be curious, speak up about your interests and trust that you’ll be supported as you grow."
How did the move from Digital Services to Health Analytics come about?
I joined LCP in 2009 as a database administrator/developer in Digital Services, mostly working with SQL databases and our in-house systems. In 2020, I was asked if I’d be interested in helping with a new Health project that had a strong data focus, and required the kind of skills I’d developed over the years. It was a great fit with my background and sounded interesting, so I said yes and jumped in!
I initially split my time 50-50 between Digital Services and Health Analytics, which was a challenge in itself, but I found the work really interesting and fully transitioned over to Health after about a year. It was a big change, but the work was fascinating - doing lots of data analysis, learning new techniques and working with some of the best subject matter experts. It was a steep learning curve, but I loved it.
What skills or expertise did you need to build to support your new role and how did you do that?
From a technical perspective, it was understanding the data from an industry level. It took time to understand the different data sources, clinical coding and how everything fits together within the healthcare system.
Outside of the technical aspects, the biggest challenge was building my consultancy skills. I hadn’t worked directly with clients before, so understanding their needs, presenting findings, and managing expectations was initially daunting. As an introvert, it was a big shift, but the amazing support from the Health team and the Consulting Skills Programme at LCP really helped me learn more about myself and how to build my confidence in those situations. The team also provided hands on training and shared articles and studies for me to read in my own time, alongside online learning, to further support everything I was doing.
What has been the most challenging and rewarding aspect of changing roles?
Having come from a different career path to most of the team, I’d say my biggest challenge was overcoming my imposter syndrome. The Health team is full of incredibly clever, talented people, and I’d often think “I’m just a data person”. It took time for me to appreciate the value that I brought and recognise that my unique skills complemented the team in different ways.
The most rewarding part has been building my confidence and rapport with clients. But we have brilliant consultants in the team, who have a great way with people, and I learnt a lot just working alongside them. Everyone brings something different to how they work and I’ve taken bits from all of them to shape my own approach.
What role has feedback played in your development?
A huge role. I genuinely believe constructive feedback is key to our development and I always encourage those around me to do the same, because that’s how we grow.
What does a growth mindset mean to you?
Being open to challenging yourself and trying something new, even if it feels daunting. It’s about saying yes to opportunities, being willing to learn and not letting fear or self-doubt stop you. It’s easy to talk yourself out of something because you feel inexperienced or worry about asking “silly” questions - but that is all part of the journey.
How can we better support one another to take on new opportunities?
I think it’s about being approachable. When you create an open environment, people are more comfortable sharing their ideas or interests, which helps support them and challenge them in the right ways.
As a team, it’s about recognising that everyone’s strengths are unique and valuable, encouraging curiosity and questions, but most importantly, celebrating each other’s achievements along the way. There’s so much support at LCP with mentoring, guidance and training. Ask questions, be curious, speak up about your interests and trust that you’ll be supported as you grow.