Gaining perspective by doing values-aligned ‘other things’
Alex Patterson was ready to identify and tackle what was holding her back – from new leadership positions, from bringing her authentic self to the workplace, from building her legacy.
It was 2020. She had decided that one of the first steps was to explore potential board roles. A friend from her university days recommended she listen to the Take on Board podcast.
The aha moment for Alex was hearing through the podcast that it was possible for someone to be true to personal values while also operating within a diverse range of societal structures and requirements.
“I admired Helga’s ability to stand in both worlds,” Alex said. “She’s upfront with her values – and she shows up and participates.”
When Alex began one-on-one coaching she thought it might lead to a change of job.
“Now I know to take the good bits from my job and then find the rest of what I need from outside of work. Helga pushes you to dig deep and be open with who you really are and what you actually want.”
Key outcomes
- Identifying her passion for equity.
- Gaining perspective that “no job is perfect”.
- Seeing the “the good parts in the current role”.
- Trying ‘other things’: board director, driving instructor, co-op beer brewer.
My boss in America was offering me coaching by someone who had coached Silicon Valley heavyweights. Then the friend from uni said ‘you know that Helga does coaching too’. From listening to her podcast, I knew that we shared many of the same values. Many of these things Helga stands for are things I tend to hide in the workplace.”
A family passion for equity
“I grew up in a union household,” Alex said of her childhood in Queanbeyan, a riverside town around 30km south-east of Canberra.
“My parents’ idea of a social life was joining the Labor Party. I had an unusual childhood, handing out how-to-vote flyers on election days, letterboxing for the Party.”
Although not an activist (yet), her parents’ values stuck.
“During coaching Helga said ‘it sounds like you like things to be fair’. I didn’t realise it. Wanting things to be fair isn’t the same as wanting things to be black and white. Just fair in the sense that people do the right things by each other.”
One-on-one coaching: 2021-22
About Alex
Coaching needs
- To identify what was holding her back at work and in life
- To help her bring her authentic self to the workplace
- To work out how to channel her wisdom and expertise
- To find out where she can add value
Two steps forward, one step back
Young Alex was more interested in maths and science than the Labor Party and letterboxing.
After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering in 1993, Alex’s career as an engineer progressed quickly over the next decade. Then in 2007, she accepted an entry-level manufacturing engineering role with a US-based medical equipment manufacturing company.
“I thought ‘wouldn’t it be good to take an entry level position’. I thought it’d be easier. But my confidence took a hit. It felt like I had de-skilled myself. I had no agency – no power. In retrospect I am grateful that it made me really assess what I had to offer.”
After that challenging first year, Alex progressed through a number of roles over the next 15 years although found leadership roles difficult to win. When leadership positions began to appear, she was encouraged to engage in coaching to build her leadership skills.
Finding paths through coaching
“Helga would let me have a whinge,” Alex said of the one-on-one coaching process. “Then she’d move it to the next point – to find the path. She helps you find a path.”
Coaching initially helped Alex unpick and then find a path through two areas: communication with her boss, and her frustration with a regular peer group meeting.
“Helga used the concept of the five love languages to help me understand miscommunication with my boss,” she said. “I learnt that I need to be appreciated – to be seen. I was then able to recognise when he was using his ‘love language’ and accept that he had complete trust in me.”
Understanding her frustration with the regular peer group meeting was a little more complex. There was a lot more to unpick. The group struggled to stick to the agenda, making decisions was difficult, meeting attendance patchy and overall she felt unappreciated and not heard.
“Then Helga asked ‘what would it take to make that meeting the best meeting ever?’ and ‘what would that look like, with empathy and kindness?’”.
Rather than abandon the meeting, Alex was able to shift her expectations, focus on the value and reshape the meeting structure and responsibilities in a way that suited everyone.
Seizing 3 out of 4 ‘other things’
After writing her purpose statement during one particularly inspiring coaching session, Alex went home and applied for four opportunities outside of work. Three applications were successful:
- The WASH House board of directors: A community-based resource centre for women.
- A volunteer driving instructor: To help First Nations people learn to drive.
- A volunteer at a beer co-op: “I love making beer!” Alex also got her Responsible Serving of Alcohol (RSA) certificate.
Her fourth application, for a committee role with the local council, wasn’t successful. She said in hindsight “was lucky” as it would’ve required more time than she would’ve been able to give.
“Helga taught me that one way to get perspective is to do other things,” Alex said from her car, ready for the WASH House board meeting to start in 15 minutes, the arvo tea of salted caramel popcorn on the backseat. A ‘fair’ arvo tea – sweet and savoury.
