00:00:00: Introduction
00:00:54: The quote
00:01:05: The inspiration behind the quote
00:02:42: The way it helps others
00:04:20: Concepts for motion…
00:05:18: … 1: put values earlier than validation
00:06:36: … 2: collaborate, do not compete
00:07:57: … 3: be higher, not the perfect
00:10:11: The advantages of utilizing scales
00:11:03: The toughest elements
00:14:07: Remaining ideas
Helen Tupper: Hello, I am Helen.
Sarah Ellis: And I am Sarah.
Helen Tupper: And that is the Squiggly Careers podcast, a weekly present the place we speak concerning the ins, the outs, the ups and the downs of labor, and provide you with some instruments, some recommendation, however hopefully a little bit of confidence and management over your profession. And that is an episode in, I suppose, a particular collection we’re doing for the summer time. We have a theme, that are quotes which have impressed our profession, which we wish to flip into motion for everyone else. And so they’re barely completely different when it comes to format, so we’re solely doing them for round quarter-hour. So, hopefully a brief, inspiring pay attention that lets you take motion together with your growth. That’s the goal.
We have two quotes every which have impressed us. And in the event you’re common listeners, you will know that Sarah and I are fairly completely different, so they’re fairly completely different quotes. After which we’ll interview one another to know what the quote is, why it issues to us, and concepts we predict that may be useful for different individuals to implement it. So, I feel Sarah is interviewing right this moment.
Sarah Ellis: So, Helen, what is the quote that you just’re selecting? What’s a quote that is impressed you in your Squiggly Profession?
Helen Tupper: The quote is, “To run your personal race”, brief and easy.
Sarah Ellis: Brief and easy. And what was it that appealed to you about that quote? Do you bear in mind the place you had been perhaps the primary time you heard it otherwise you learn it?
Helen Tupper: I feel it was most likely early days of Instagram, so I can not attribute it to anybody. I actually cannot bear in mind once I noticed it, nevertheless it was like early, early days of scrolling by way of Instagram and seeing inspiring stuff, of the period of the, “Love your job” quote, which didn’t make the lower. However, “Run your personal race” did. And I feel it helped me as a result of on the time, have you learnt, on the time I’d have been most likely in Virgin. And I feel that’s undoubtedly a spot the place confidence gremlins might creep in, as a result of everybody’s so attention-grabbing and doing cool issues and everybody appears fairly shiny, and I wasn’t. I might come from a really company place earlier than I went to Virgin. And in addition, I used to be beginning this aspect venture, I feel, with you. So, I did not really feel like I used to be, I imply, not that it is a spot that actually values conformity, however I felt like —
Sarah Ellis: Are you saying Superb If is not cool?
Helen Tupper: I am unsure we are the cool individuals! I am unsure that is us. However the level is, while you run your personal race, you aren’t making an attempt to be like different individuals. You might be form of conscious of what’s significant to you, and that’s what’s motivating for you, and that form of drives your growth. So, I feel it undoubtedly was a degree in my time once I might have felt comparability getting in the best way of my confidence. So, I feel I gravitated in the direction of this quote and I discovered it very reinforcing for me, and it has stayed with me. I imply, I am going on about this quote on a regular basis.
Sarah Ellis: And when you will have shared it with different individuals, as a result of I’ve heard you share it with different individuals, I share it in your behalf with different individuals, how do you assume it could possibly be useful for all of us, not simply you and your private experiences?
Helen Tupper: Properly, I feel that once I take into consideration the Squiggly expertise, I see confidence, of all of our Squiggly expertise, which we will likely be speaking about on our Dash which is coming very quickly, I see confidence because the one which will get in most individuals’s method, the one which holds most individuals again. So, I really feel like it is going to assist individuals as a result of I do know that confidence is getting in the best way of plenty of individuals’s careers. And I feel it is a assertion that may assist individuals overcome a few of these gremlins. However I feel there are some significantly actionable insights that we will take away from it. Would you want me to share?
Sarah Ellis: I’d. I feel one of many reflections I’ve, as anyone who generally has a comparability gremlin, is that it is most likely simpler than ever to nearly not run your personal race, as a result of different individuals’s careers are actually seen. You spend a while on LinkedIn, and also you would possibly fall into that lure of pondering, “Why do not I try this?” or, “Different persons are doing this”. And so, that, form of going again to form of being assured in your self and what you wish to do, it most likely feels extra vital now that it perhaps even did once we first began working. I feel it is all the time felt vital, however I discovered it extra helpful most likely over the previous 5 or 6 years than I did, say, within the first 5 or 6 years of my profession.
Helen Tupper: Yeah, I feel you are proper. I feel there’s simply extra factors of information now that I feel perhaps form of have an effect on the way you would possibly really feel about your profession growth. It is simply extra seen, is not it, that stuff that may result in comparability?
Sarah Ellis: So, we had been very eager on this summer time collection to show these quotes into motion. Truly, one of many causes that we even began Superb If is that there have been fairly just a few of those quotes knocking round Instagram within the early days and on the phrases of some partitions of workplaces. And really, I feel they will give you the results you want or towards you, as a result of they will really feel simply fairly imprecise or generic, or in the event you’re sceptical like me or an excellent important thinker, it is fairly straightforward to drag these items aside, you recognize, “Oh, properly it is wonderful for Helen to say to run her personal race, as a result of look how good she is, and take a look at all of the issues that she’s achieved. That is straightforward so that you can say, nevertheless it’s actually laborious for me to do”. So, we’re very conscious of that, and we have each tried to give you three actions for every of our quotes to go, “If this feels useful for you, what would possibly you truly do?” turning that consciousness into motion. Let’s have these notes, Helen.
Helen Tupper: Okay. I’ve acquired a little bit of alliteration occurring, as a result of that’s clearly simply the place my mind goes. So, the very first thing is, if you wish to run your personal race, I feel you need to put values earlier than validation. So, I feel one of many issues that will get in the best way of individuals working their very own race is once they’re evaluating their profession or they’re on the lookout for different individuals to say that they are doing an excellent job, they’re on the lookout for that reinforcement from different individuals. And I feel if you are going to truly run your personal race, you need to form of go inwards, with out being too tacky about all of it. I feel you need to take into consideration, “Properly, what am I truly motivated by? What actually drives me?” And I feel you need to focus actually laborious on that. As a result of I would take a look at you and I would assume, “Oh, Sarah’s so good at that”, or, “I must be extra like Sarah”.
However truly, what I attempt to do is form of go, “What issues to me?” Freedom, development, vitality and achievement, they’re my values. “How do I get extra of that? Like, make choices with that in thoughts, and I will likely be happier over the long run”. And if you do not know what your values are, as a result of I feel that requires an consciousness of your values, so as to have the ability to try this, we’ve acquired a free toolkit on values, which is on our web site, amazingif.com, which you’ll be able to go and use, and it’ll work you thru some actions and processes which can get you to that sort of readability. However I feel that is level primary, values over validation.
Sarah Ellis: Okay.
Helen Tupper: Okay. Level quantity two is collaborate, do not compete.
Sarah Ellis: You have used alliteration for all of them.
Helen Tupper: Yeah, in fact I’ve.
Sarah Ellis: I’ve used alliteration for none of mine, simply to handle expectations!
Helen Tupper: Clearly! So, yeah, collaborate, do not compete. So, I feel when you’re not working your personal race, I feel it is vitally straightforward to begin to evaluate and compete, evaluate and compete. And I imply, I am simply not wired that method, that simply would not do it for me. However I feel that’s what helps me keep true to this quote, as a result of I form of go, “Properly, I am going to simply collaborate with these individuals”. So, once I see, I am like, “They’re doing an awesome job. Nice. I’ll go and collaborate with them”, or, “I’ll try to advocate for his or her work, as a result of I feel it is nice.”
Sarah Ellis: You undoubtedly have that mindsight. I feel greater than anybody I’ve ever labored with, when another person does one thing properly, I really feel like your first thought is, “Oh, how can I be taught from that individual in order that I can try this factor properly?” And I nearly really feel like we would not be buddies if you did not have that mindset, as a result of that is how we met.
Helen Tupper: Yeah, that is so true.
Sarah Ellis: Is not it? Like, think about if that wasn’t you, since you are undoubtedly wired that method. I feel you type of get curious, however you form of get aggressive with your self. It is fairly an uncommon sort of competitors that you’ve.
Helen Tupper: Oh, that is my third level.
Sarah Ellis: You are joking!
Helen Tupper: It’s my third level. However my third level is deal with being higher, not the perfect.
Sarah Ellis: Proper.
Helen Tupper: So, I feel it goes again to it. So, I by no means have a need. In working my very own race, I am not truly making an attempt to be the perfect at working. I imply, that might be a foul factor for me, would not it? I might by no means get began. However I am not making an attempt to be the perfect at working. I am not making an attempt to beat different individuals, that does not join with me in any respect. I’m all the time making an attempt to be higher, I am all the time making an attempt to run a greater race. So, I am like, “Oh, what can I be taught? What would I do in a different way? Who’s doing it properly, that I would have the ability to experiment?” I am all the time, all the time making an attempt to be higher, however I am not making an attempt to be the perfect, as a result of I feel as quickly as you let that creep in, like the higher, the competing, the validating, then I feel you get to begin a win-lose mentality, and that isn’t what the working your personal race factor means to me anyway.
Sarah Ellis: And the way do you make that one sensible? As a result of I feel lots of people would take heed to that and assume, “Okay, nice, a lot simpler and feels extra accessible for all of us to go, ‘Okay, I’ll be a greater me versus Helen or higher versus Jack, or whoever. How do you determine what higher appears like?”
Helen Tupper: I exploit, I imply clearly one in all our instruments, so I really feel such as you’ve loaded me so I can discuss one in all our instruments. However ‘what works properly’, ‘even higher if’, I exploit on a regular basis, like nearly on daily basis, and I’ll use it to self-reflect. So, right this moment, I’ve had a suggestions dialog, I’ve executed a presentation, each of these issues I’ll self-reflect, “What labored properly, even higher if”, as a result of I will be doing each of these issues once more sooner or later. And it stops you being too self-critical, as a result of you need to acknowledge what you probably did properly, nevertheless it additionally helps you, you recognize, the getting-better bit is de facto helpful. However I’ll typically ask different individuals for his or her insights on that too. And sometimes, I am going to ask you, I am going to ask the crew, I am going to ask different individuals. So, I’m simply gathering loads of ‘what went properly, even higher if’ suggestions on a regular basis. And I do not essentially act on all of it, however I am gathering the knowledge so I can decide about what bits I wish to make higher.
Sarah Ellis: Yeah, so that you might be actually particular. Typically we discuss, do not we, how helpful scales are?
Helen Tupper: Yeah.
Sarah Ellis: I feel in the event you give your self a rating out of 10, in the event you had been like, “Proper, I wish to be a greater presenter”, and also you do loads of presenting, you would possibly already be an 8, however you possibly can then go, “Proper, properly, what would take me from an 8 to a 9?” And you possibly can get ‘even higher if’ suggestions to offer you concepts that might provide you with information to your growth. And folks would possibly say, I do not know, we could say individuals stated, “Speak a bit slower, Helen”.
Helen Tupper: Yeah, we could say!
Sarah Ellis: Typically you would possibly speak fairly quick. And so, then you definately go, “Okay, properly I perceive that an 8 to a 9 would possibly look a bit like tempo and practising, various my tempo so I do not lose my vitality and I can preserve my authenticity, however equally recognising that generally slowing down can actually make a degree”. And it is simply these small adjustments, however I suppose all of them add up over time. And I am to know, with Run Your Personal Race, what are the moments when that is hardest for you? As a result of I feel you speak very clearly about the way you do that, since you’ve lived with this quote for some time, it is form of been a part of your life for some time, however there nonetheless have to be moments the place this feels troublesome to do.
Helen Tupper: The second that I’ve to repeat it probably the most might be, it is group conditions. It is group conditions with loads of spectacular individuals. And I may give you a really particular instance. I am like, “Sarah is aware of, due to course she is aware of me”, however within the final couple of years, I grew to become a part of this EY Profitable Ladies community. These ladies are completely superb. They’re working worldwide companies with advanced points, giant groups, they’ve superb business information. I imply, they’re superb. And I’ll generally be within the room with them and there are such a lot of of them, it’s very easy to sit down at a desk and really feel like you aren’t, I do not know if it isn’t ok, not doing it proper, or not rising in the identical method, or all this. There’s simply many messages of type of gremlin noise round you in that room. And I actually need to form of go, “Run your personal race, run your personal race, you are not making an attempt to be like all people else, you are pleased with what you are doing”.
Sarah Ellis: I typically assume it is fairly useful to perhaps ask your self, “When am I at most danger of forgetting one thing that is vital to me?” And I feel you can begin to identify the conditions after which you determine like, “Properly, what do I must remind myself of?” As a result of I do discover comparability can creep in for me actually, actually shortly, and I do not assume that can ever not be true. So, one in all my dangers could be if I spent too lengthy on LinkedIn, for instance, I do not assume that might be good for me, and likewise as a result of I am evaluating myself typically on LinkedIn to people who find themselves far more extrovert than I’m. If I take a look at individuals, I love their content material, I will be like, “Properly, however they’re ranging from a really completely different place to me”. And so, generally I feel it is also about limiting these kinds of issues in a method that is helpful, as a result of I feel, “Properly, okay, however that is not me, that is not what I am making an attempt to do”. So, truly simply being considerate about, if this issues to me, if working your personal race issues to me, what do I must do extra of, much less of, but additionally what do I must be careful for?
Helen Tupper: Additionally, perhaps a remaining level to shut on, I feel the alternative of working your personal race is working another person’s race. And I feel that that could be a very dangerous method of managing your profession, since you get to the top of that race and also you’re actually not proud of the place you might be or who you might be. And I feel perhaps that is motivating for individuals as properly, you recognize, carrot or stick, when it comes to what works for you. However that is not one thing that I discover motivating for my profession.
Sarah Ellis: So, we hope you discover these episodes helpful, maybe feeling barely completely different to our regular episodes. We’re making an attempt to maintain them brief for the summer time. A bit completely different interviewing one another, which is kind of a pleasant change.
Helen Tupper: You are a good interviewer.
Sarah Ellis: Thanks very a lot. And we’ll be again once more subsequent week the place we will likely be swapping roles, and Helen will likely be speaking to me about one in all my favorite quotes. I do not know if we must always reveal it.
Helen Tupper: Yeah, give a tease. What is the quote?
Sarah Ellis: “By no means dwell the identical yr twice”.
Helen Tupper: Oh, I can not wait. All proper, communicate subsequent week.
Sarah Ellis: Thanks a lot for listening, everybody. Bye for now.
