441 Pivot Point: Choosing Growth and Humility
I've said this before, and I love the reaction I get from people:
"If you have to tell people you're an expert, you're probably not doing it right."
In this week's episode of Your Stories Don't Define You you'll hear my answer to a question from when I was a guest on a podcast, and the insights I continue to gain from it years later.
Scott Ferguson asked me this question on his show It's Time To Shine Today: “What’s one question people should ask when interviewing professional development coaches they might want to work with?”
My answer might surprise you. It surprised him, and he has asked hundreds of coaches that question!
In early 2018 I walked away from my first keynote presentation feeling great, knowing I did a good job because quite a few guests at the conference wanted to talk to me afterward. I received great evaluations a few weeks after the event, and people wanted to know if my book was available for sale at the conference… (I hadn’t written it yet, but that’s beside the point.)
It was clear to me where I could continue to improve, and when I look back at that time, I know I did well. But I also know that just a few years later I gave a keynote that was significantly better. More refined and more polished, more engaging and with “stickier” language.
And now, as I prepare for a keynote I’ll give soon, I feel even more accomplished as a speaker.
But the thing I keep coming back to is that as good as I feel about my progress and where I am now, I know that with practice and coaching, I may see exponential improvement over the next few years. I’m not done learning and developing as a communication professional and speaker.
Here we are, friends, with another episode about how we can uncover a powerful, meaningful story and insights from what could be perceived as a simple question: “What’s one question people should ask when interviewing professional development coaches they might want to work with?”
Your answer to a question like that says everything about who you are and what matters to you.
In this episode I mention a few of the programs I’ve participated in to continue my growth as a communication professional and as a human. One is the Wired for Success program created by my brilliant friend Melissa Hughes. Another is the Equanima Advanced Integrated Emotional Intelligence certification program lead by Morgane Borzée, and extraordinary woman I interviewed on my podcast a few weeks ago.
Listeners, now it’s your turn:
What question would you ask if you were considering hiring a coach for your professional development?
Have you been asked a question that uncovered something important about your own progress and who has influenced you?
What memory came back to you as you listened to my story and the insights I gained from that single question?
Now that you have this reminder about the stories you share, what’s one story you might choose to share differently?
The stories we share say everything about who we are.
Thanks for listening to Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will. Are you curious to learn about working with me? Visit my website, elkinsconsulting.com to schedule time to chat and sign up for periodic updates about my work, and connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook for content about strengthsfinder, storytelling, public speaking.
After more than 430 episodes of this podcast, I was recently inspired to change the format of the show.
The new format for my show aligns with what I’m learning about narrative identity (how the stories we tell about ourselves internally and externally influence our identity) and demonstrates what I’ve been teaching for years: Sharing a story to reveal who you are and what matters to you.
My hope is that future episodes will offer more clarity about great storytelling and how to find and explore pivotal moments to demonstrate who we are.
About Sarah:
Sarah is a Montana based workplace communication trainer, TEDx speaker, DisruptHR speaker, public speaking coach, professional storyteller, musician, and podcast host. Her workshops and coaching packages with teams and their leaders are known to address and reduce miscommunication – the most common cause of tension and stress in the workplace. Using the team’s results from the StrengthsFinder assessment, she guides teams in learning to speak each other’s “language”, learning to value each other’s strengths and connecting with each other through enhanced self-reflection and effective listening.
Sarah’s nearly 20 years working in government agencies inspired her to complete her MBA and to achieve her StrengthsFinder certification to improve work environments for others, guiding teams toward increased satisfaction, productivity, and happiness.
Visit her website to purchase her book, Your Stories Don't Define You in paperback or audiobook.