The Builder’s House
A client I was coaching recently asked me, “So, what’s TOWARD like as a place to work in? Are you like a builder’s house…a shambles inside because you’re too busy doing the work outside?” He had a little twinkle in his eye as he was hoping to discover something ‘juicy’ about our culture!
It’s an interesting question as it challenges our alignment and authenticity in TOWARD. In essence, do we practice what we preach?
Seeking clarity about and commitment to your values & purpose is a lifelong pursuit. Both require a certain ruthlessness and the time to reflect on the journey to date and, at times, I get it wrong…we get it wrong. Sometimes, I feel like I am drifting away from what’s important to me and who I am and when this happens, I can sense it. It shows up in different ways.
In our organisation, when we are out of alignment, I can see and hear it at project meetings, 1:1 interactions and in the atmosphere in the office. People become more withdrawn and silent and, at times, a little more ‘snappy’.
This is a normal response but it begs the questions, ”what do you do when this happens?”
There’s no substitute for taking some time out periodically. Recently, I spent 2 days at a retreat centre in Rostrevor, Ireland. This gave me the time to decouple from the day-to-day and reconnect with my values and purpose. I spent time mulling questions like, ‘what am I passionate about?’, ‘what is my contribution?’ and ‘what am I choosing to commit to?’.
In asking these questions, I discovered that our house, like any house, will always need a lick of paint or some new shelves. That was the purpose of the retreat and it gave me the energy to refocus on the important things.
So, what about your house? Are you taking the time to do the DIY that you need to attend to? And if not, what is it you need to do to reconnect with the important things?
Johnny Parks