S4E5 Suzanne Knight MBA

The Longest Day Podcast

In this episode, Leah talks to Suzanne Knight MBA. Suzanne’s longest day was when a member of her team died suddenly, and she and her team grieved together. It was a time when they became more open to each other about what they were feeling; they connected in a way they had never done before. The sharing of mutual grief was an experience that could not be replicated. To this day, they are the closest colleagues and friends. It was the most difficult emotional journey she has gone through even at a time when there were ordinary life matters to deal with. She felt this especially in the smallest, most human things like packing up her colleague’s desk and her personal items, then seeing her handwritten notes, a half-eaten box of chocolates.
Suzanne had always worked in spaces where problems and issues were not personal and so they didn’t get to her. But her longest day had the weight of finality, one you couldn’t return to. Suzanne learnt about perspective and about what matters, especially the role of family and friends. She has become more focused on checking on with people in her life, including herself by being explicit with the questions, like ‘are you ok?’, and ‘what can I do to help?’. She’s more intentional about making honest requests to be useful to others. For her work is work. It isn’t life. Her number one activities are her priorities, her values, her integrity, and the way she engages with others.