Do you have a problem solving elephant?
My niece has a problem solving elephant.
It’s a pink crocheted elephant I made for her when she was little, which she has since outfitted with a dapper bowtie and glasses.
When she has a particularly hard math problem, where things just aren’t working out, she’ll set her problem solving elephant down on the table next to her and talk through her problem.
And you know what, it works!
Every time, when she talks the situation through with the problem solving elephant, she figures it out. The solution becomes clear. She comes to understand the missing step, the thing she forgot to take into account, the next step she needs to take.
Do you have a problem solving elephant?
Just having an idea of who is and should be influencing you isn’t enough. You need to decide, with intention, how you’ll leverage your amazing board of directors if you want to really get the value out of them.
Here are three things you can consider:
Ask for what you need
When you give your board, or members of your board, a specific assignment, they can target their assistance in the ways that serve you the best.
Write a letter to your inner critic, asking it to help you keep an eye on something relevant, rather than that fear you had as a child. Reach out to a mentor for advice on a specific situation you’re facing. Read a book from a thought leader on a topic that will inform your next project.
Show your appreciation
Expressing gratitude to your board is a powerful way to honor their guidance and your relationship, whether it’s with internal voices or external humans. When you show your appreciation, you focus on the value you are getting from their wisdom and honoring their investment in you.
After a great session with a mentor at work, send a message to share the specific insights or approaches that were helpful. Even better, also share something of value to them, like an article that’s relevant for their work. When your inner critic gets loud, thank them for their intention to keep you safe. When you summon your inner guide, thank them for helping you see the wisdom inside yourself.
Make your own decisions
You are the chair of the board. You get to synthesize and evaluate the recommendations and make the final decisions. No matter how insightful or helpful your board’s advice is, or how much you respect their position and experience, you are the ultimate decision maker in your life.
After that strategy session with your advisor, take time to reflect on your own what of the take-aways you’d actually like to take action on. When your inner critic offers feedback, you can decide if it’s relevant. You can decide what truths your voice of reason raises will be true for you.
You can get creative here, and you may even leverage multiple techniques. I have a client who recently wrote a letter to their inner critic, thanking them for keeping them safe and giving them a new assignment to help them achieve a big goal. I have another who created portraits of their inner critic and inner guide, making it easy and fun to separate out the wisdom (or counterproductive messaging) from each.
Whether we are intentional or not, we each have a personal board of directors, offering guidance and advice even when we’re not aware. It’s up to each of us to be intentional about how we leverage our board, so that we can iterate with intention towards the person we’re becoming.
Where and how would you like your board of directors to help with what you’re facing right now?
As you think about how to leverage your personal board of directors, you probably realize there’s opportunity to explore this further. Want some help? Book your free strategy session and let’s dig in.
How will you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
October 10, 2024
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
Book your free strategy session.
