Need to course correct? Start with you and your values

Need to course correct? Start with you and your values

The trajectory of our life (and business) rarely follows predictable straight lines. We constantly need to ‘course correct’ - the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted this for us all. How do we get on with our daily lives, family and business, when we can’t even pretend to know where the trajectory is launching us?

In these circumstances and in my experience, one of the most reliable compasses by which to navigate and keep us on track are our own values.

Let me tell you about my own journey.

Finding flow state

Have you ever been in an environment – at work or elsewhere – where you feel like you just don’t fit? Perhaps you felt on edge, out of place, underqualified or otherwise on the periphery?

I remember a networking event, in a noisy room full of business people, precariously trying to balance my cup and saucer, waiting eagerly to make a valuable contribution to the conversation.

Standing there, as a 46-year-old woman (at the time) with 25 years’ marketing experience in senior roles, and running my own successful business, I should have felt completely comfortable. Yet, there I was, feeling as awkward as my 22-year-old self had been in my first job, lacking experience, confidence and anything worthwhile to say.

In these awful moments, it can be easy to ignore our feelings, or to play them down. However these are exactly the moments that allow us to tune into our emotions, and explore why we’ve hit a low point in confidence and self-esteem.

Finding flow state

I started my own marketing business so that I could choose my clients, my work and my focus. In the first few years, I was fortunate to achieve what is known as ‘flow state’, a concept popularised by positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura. Achieving flow state in work usually requires a number of components; for me the most poignant were feeling confident that I understood the work, being understood, being valued and seeing positive results. Ultimately this meant doing work I really cared about and found rewarding.

Losing your way

Then I started working with a particular client who was disrespectful and so polarised in their values from my own that the internal conflict I felt over a prolonged period of time made me ill. I found myself branding the organisation as something that I knew it fundamentally wasn’t and, in the process, lost trust in my work and myself.

Burdens such as temporary or chronic work stress may be manageable in isolation, but the cumulative effect of several additional stressors and challenging personal life events can become overwhelming. This was exactly what happened to me, and led to a breakdown in 2018.

Much like the delicate cups and saucers we try to balance at networking events as we shake hands, eat sandwiches, clutch paperwork, distribute cards, hold bags and have conversations - the load we bear can only become so great before we wobble, or fall over.

I’ve since spoken with many business people who have experienced similar crises and burnouts, which shook their work and professional lives to their very core, and forced them to reassess their businesses and why they set them up in the first place.

The trajectory of our life (and business) rarely follows predictable straight lines. We constantly need to ‘course correct,’ such as now when we're all struggling to understand the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. How do we get on with our daily lives, family and business, when we can’t even pretend to know where the trajectory is launching us?

In these circumstances and in my experience, one of the most reliable compasses by which to navigate and keep us on track are our own values.

Understanding who you are

To put our values first in life and in business, we need to understand who we are at a deep level. This means listening to ourselves and discovering what really matters to us. This process looks different for everyone, but asking yourself these two fundamental questions is a good way to start:

  1. What does contentment look like for you and what is essential for achieving it?
  2. What do you want people to know you and remember you for?

My own journey of self discovery involved delving into the ancient wisdom of Chinese energetics through The Vitality Test created by the Five Institute. Working with Nick Haines helped me reach a profound understanding of myself, what is essential for me to feel content in life and in work, gain full acceptance that I couldn’t possibly be in any other place than I am now, and, most importantly, that was okay.

Much of our confidence comes from unapologetically knowing and owning who we are. For me, this new-found knowledge was life-changing, giving me the surety I craved to achieve what’s important to me.

Soul centered branding

Matthew Newnham’s ‘soul centered branding’ approach was also essentially revealing, showing me that by peeling back the layers of who we are and applying our values on a deeper level within our businesses, we can focus on projects that boost our contentment and support our flow in the process.

One of my strongest values is the importance of understanding others and being understood. If this basic isn’t met, it causes me great inner conflict, which is exactly why I struggled so much working with the client I couldn’t understand, and who didn’t understand me.

Post-2018, I re-evaluated my business, my focus and my clients. Knowing with certainty that I need to understand others and their purpose, I re-engineered my process to gather the amount of information both I and my clients need to get to the real root of their marketing challenges and discover the right solutions. I choose clients who recognise how valuable this process is, and are committed to honesty, culture and positive impact. I take time now to research clients who care about purposeful marketing and are committed to leaving a lasting legacy. And if the fit isn’t right, I turn down the work, knowing the right relationships and the right projects will provide me with opportunities to make a huge difference to a business’ bottom line AND to do work that I’m proud of.

If you ever feel – in your work, during a personal crisis or as the world struggles to make sense of overwhelming change – that you are one second away from dropping your cups, saucers, sandwiches, papers and business cards…..give yourself permission to step back and check in with your values, and whether your soul-needs are being met, or affronted.

What conditions are essential for you to be able to work in flow?

What areas of your work, or life, are those conditions not being met?

It can be difficult to take a step back when everything around you feels as though it's crumbling, and our time and energy is stretched to breaking point. And while many of us may be struggling to keep a roof over our heads, a business afloat and food on the table, there is so much value in reassessing our lives and tuning into what's most important.

These unprecedented circumstances are forcing us to pause and reset. It's a time of transformational change, which requires transformational action.

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As an expert in purposeful marketing, brand and the UK’s first CultureTalk practitioner, Kirsty Innes helps progressive leaders define, articulate and embed meaningful purpose into their organisations. As we move towards a zero carbon world, Kirsty’s rigorous methodology enables clients to clarify, focus on and amplify their impact.

Trust is the new brand equity. When trust is built on purpose, organisations can attract and retain the right customers, partners, funders and employees with shared values and ambitions, develop marketing initiatives that are focused, strategic, distinct and effective, and build a thriving organisation within planetary boundaries. At the end of the day, they can feel proud that they’re effecting positive change.

Throughout her series of articles, Kirsty shares how to build a purpose-driven business that goes way beyond the usual marketing mix. If you or an inspirational leader you know is ready to grow with purpose, on purpose, book a call through https://kirstyinnes.com/contact/

DISCLAIMER: This article has been produced for guidance only and does not constitute advice. Copyright ? 2022 Kirsty Innes Marketing. All rights reserved.

Trisha Lewis

Unsquashed living ??Calling out the Fears Illusions and Baggage that hold us back (FIBs!) ?'Say It Out Loud' Power Hour Coaching ????♀? ?TEDx Speaker?Author: The Mystery of the Squashed Self?Podcast Host

3 年

It won't surprise you Kirsty Innes, that I completely concur! Love this lone from your beautifully written article: 'Much of our confidence comes from unapologetically knowing and owning who we are' ?

Louise Mayes

Programme Manager at PublicService

4 年

Totally resonated with me , really enjoyed the post . Well done

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Cynthia Forstmann

Workplace Culture Design & Transformation | Founder at CultureTalk | Culture Survey, Toolset, & Certification | Positive Psychology | Speaker & Facilitator| Align talent and strategy

4 年

One of the upsides of the current crisis is taking the time to connect in real, vulnerable and human ways. Thanks for leading the way Kirsty! Love the cup and saucer image -- I think many of us can relate!

Frank Gormanley MCIM

Founder, #ForeverGreat | Marketer MCIM | Executive Lead | Innovator | Strategist | Musician ????

4 年

I loved it. It takes guts and a real ‘out comfort zone’ mindset to share this. You’re a strong, confident and knowledgeable business leader that brings an abundance of honesty, truly reflecting who you are and what you VALUE. I relate to most of this; networking (I’m not a fan) I know, surprised as a raving extrovert, I don’t enjoy the awkward entrance and style of most of the formats, but they can of course be very beneficial. The ‘being aware’ and comfortable with who you/ we are, at 37 it’s only in the past few years I’ve allowed myself to stop justifying and being apologetic to what I bring to the table and represent. Not everyone’s my customer, not everyone is a fan of energy and ideas that I bring - and that’s OK! I just need to find and work with people who are. We’ve had several conversations across the years Kirsty and i’m so glad you’ve embraced this media output to share your story, wisdom and ideas with integrity, expressing exactly who you are. Look toward to catching up! #CourseCorrect ????

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