Should you be the next RCM president?
Elections for the post of RCM president are scheduled for this winter. The RCM is encouraging members who have the required qualities to consider standing.
Midwives magazine: Issue 5 :: 2011
Could you represent the RCM at social occasions as well as national and international events? Would you be prepared to lead deputations of the RCM when appointed to do so by the new RCM Board? Then you might want to consider standing for election to the role of RCM president. Restrictions that applied in the past have been swept away and the Council has opened up the presidential role to RCM members who could not have contemplated it before.
The president (described in the RCM rules as the RCM’s ceremonial figurehead) is very much an ambassadorial role so you should have, or be able to quickly develop, the skills required to do it effectively.
What are the required qualities?
An RCM president must:
✲ Have an established professional profile and reputation
✲ Be recognised for personal achievement
✲ Be an inspiring example for midwives and maternity services
✲ Be highly skilled and experienced in political acumen and diplomacy
✲ Have presence and authority
✲ Be an excellent communicator
✲ Be finely attuned to the RCM’s membership
✲ Have good interpersonal skills and be adept at developing new relationships
✲ Be a full member of the RCM for at least five years.
The range of the role is enormous – you would have to be able to talk comfortably to government ministers one day and feel equally at home with over-worked midwives in a busy maternity unit the next. Involvement with other Royal Colleges can also be extensive.
The role is about listening, understanding, interpreting, influencing and promoting. You will be the face of the RCM and on occasions expected to wear an impressive chain of office.
Preparing for election
If you can demonstrate the qualities needed and would be able to meet the challenge, it is time to start thinking about preparing for election:
✲ Will you have the support you need? You should discuss your plans with your family, employer and work colleagues
✲ If you already lead a busy professional life, how will being RCM president fit in with that? Think carefully about whether you have the stamina to undertake such a high-profile role
✲ Are you sufficiently well known within the profession and what do you need to do to achieve a reasonable prospect of being elected?
✲ Have you thought about how to conduct an election campaign and who you will enlist to help you in your campaign?
The election will take place this winter and the person elected as president will take up office in the spring. Over the coming months, keep an eye on the RCM website and in Midwives for more information. If you want to find out more immediately, then please take a look at the RCM rules, which are on the RCM website.
