Have you ever looked at a puzzle or a word game and while trying to solve it panicked about whether you will actually be able to solve it? You’re staring at it, you know you’re good at it but you don’t know if you’ll get it. Then bam! You know the answer! Out of nowhere, the answer has just entered your head. That gap, when you’re looking at a problem to solve, and you don’t know if you’re going to, can be terrifying if it’s something major that affects your life or work. The uncertainty is extremely unnerving. And yet, as a founder, that’s also inevitable.
When you’re trying to forge ahead and solve big challenges at work, or with your business, how to change it or scale and grow it, trying to work out what will work, it can be terrifying and sometimes even destabilizing if the risk is high. I’ve been through phases like these as someone who has set up a business within a large company like Unilever, within a not-for-profit in New Zealand marketing art to the rest of the world, especially the US, and when setting up Bricoleur in Singapore.
When I was younger, I read and internalized this book by James Webb Young, titled A Technique for Producing Ideas. In my opinion, this book is not only for founders and advertising people but every single person. People often say they are not creative, but I think every single individual is. It’s their ideas that are creating their life. Anyway, I digress. Going back to the book, it uses the metaphor of digestion to describe the creative process, breaking it down into steps similar to a cow’s process of chewing, digesting, and eventually producing.
The structure is —gathering information (grazing), digesting the information (or chewing the cud), incubation (when you switch off or do nothing), and then bam-inspiration (or you know what..:)).
But during this time of grazing, chewing the cud, and incubating and before you have hit upon inspiration and shortlisted an idea, the journey can be nerve-wracking and I have found that support in the form of a coach is fantastic to stay on track and hasten the process. I have worked with multiple executive coaches over the years at different points in my life. When I moved to New Zealand and worked with Clemenger BBDO when I decided to quit my corporate career and become self-employed a month after giving birth and even now.
Studies show that coaching enhances critical decision-making skills, which directly impacts work and career progression. A Stanford University study revealed that 66% of CEOs want coaching, to improve decision-making and conflict-resolution skills, both of which are crucial for career advancement. 80% of executives report higher self-confidence, while 70% see better performance and relationships (International Coaching Federation). By addressing blind spots and fostering strategic thinking, coaching empowers executives to take charge of their growth, leading to both personal and organizational success. Coached executives are significantly more likely to receive promotions or new leadership opportunities. The American Management Association found that leaders who received coaching were 60% more likely to achieve their business objectives and advance in their careers compared to those who didn’t receive coaching. Most importantly coaching improves overall job satisfaction and retention. Executives who undergo coaching often report feeling more aligned with their goals and better able to manage work-life balance, making them less likely to leave their organizations. This also reflects well in terms of job stability and internal promotions.
Having worked with so many coaches over the years to help me find my way, the most important things I have discovered are:
1. One needs to look at our world of work in the context of our lives and what drives us as individuals.
2. By grappling with various dimensions of what you need to solve with a third party whose job it is to nudge you along to find your answers, you are thinking through an issue in much greater detail and overcoming your patterns and blind spots.
I have used this multi-dimensional understanding of the coaching process as a user to design a service that encourages taking a step back, at periodic intervals to revisit what you set out to address in the first place, so one can course correct if needed. I’m very excited about what we have to offer, with very seasoned coaches who have multi-market and cross-cultural experience located across the world, partnering with Bricoleur, because they too see the need for individuals and leaders with self-awareness, driving the outcomes that benefit them and those around them, more intentionally. And with accountability built into the process.
Have a look for yourself. Visit:
https://www.bricoleurconsulting.com/leadership-and-career-coaching/
Anu D’Souza runs Bricoleur Consulting, a leadership coaching and recruitment company focused on the digital and technology industries. A thought leader on innovation, transformation and leadership, Anu has spent many years with companies like Unilever, Ogilvy and BBDO and has lived and worked in multiple cultures and geographies.
Having served on multiple Boards Anu is currently the Marketing Advisor to the Board of womenoffatorda.in, an e- commerce start-up supporting village women in Goa, India and volunteers with the Council of Single Mothers and their Children in Australia. She regularly writes about employee motivations, and on leadership for tomorrow. Anu is also the author of ALIGNED Why CEOs need Company Brand Alignment in the Age of a Questioning Workforce. You can reach her on [email protected].
