How to explore your potential

00:01:35: Introduction

00:03:10: Robert Kaplan quote

00:03:38: What does "potential" actually mean?

00:04:49: Three ways to explore your potential

00:05:01: 1) Stretching your strengths…

00:05:41: … use your strengths in different situations

00:08:49: … teach your strengths

00:09:47: … learn from the best

00:12:41: 2) Developing your risk readiness…

00:13:39: … recognise the risk

00:14:49: … don't be scared by the risks

00:15:27: … have a risk-recovery plan

00:17:58: Reid Hoffman's ABZ Planning

00:18:38: Tim Ferriss's Fear-Setting

00:20:40: 3) Curating your own potential curriculum…

00:21:09: … Objectives and Key Results

00:22:43: … consider how you learn best

00:24:40: … deliberate practice

00:27:01: CEO coffees and conversations

00:28:13: James Mitra's 40 Minute Mentor podcast

00:28:58: Elizabeth Uviebinené's book, The Reset

00:29:41: Final comments

Helen Tupper: Hi, I'm Helen Tupper.

Sarah Ellis: And I'm Sarah Ellis.

Helen Tupper: And you're listening to the Squiggly Careers podcast where each week, we talk about a different topic and discuss practical ideas and actions to help you find your way through our Squiggly world of work. This week, which is my first week back after a holiday, we're talking about how to explore your potential. Before we get started, Sarah, did you miss me on my week of holiday?

Sarah Ellis: Oh, I wasn't ready for that question! Of course; is that the right answer to that?

Helen Tupper: I've really put her on the spot! It's because she never shows me any sign of affection, everybody. The only way I can do it is by putting her on the spot and forcing her to respond!

Sarah Ellis: Well, I did miss you; but then also, you were still on WhatsApp a bit, so I'm not sure you were having a 100% digital detox, shall we say.

Helen Tupper: It's because it's just I enjoy it; and also, sometimes I find it easier than looking after my children! They may listen to this podcast in the future and be really upset with me for saying things like that.

So this week, yes, we are talking about how to explore your potential. We don't think that this is about, how does everyone rise to the top and how does everyone be the very best; or that potential is this thing for the chosen few or a quest for perfection. Our perspective on potential is that we all have undiscovered potential and that we can all explore that if we choose to.

It might not be the right time for everybody right now. Maybe, if you've got a lot of other things on, it not feel like you've got the energy to do it; but, if you do have the energy and the interest, then we want to help you to explore your potential by sharing some different tools and ideas and actions to support you.

There's a quote that I came across from Robert Kaplan, from an article that we'll share; it's a Harvard Business Review article about potential. He said that, "Fulfilment doesn't come from clearing hurdles others set for you; it comes from clearing those that you set for yourself". That resonated with me, because I think potential is not what other people might see, it's what you feel about you and your growth and your opportunity. So, it is a personal thing and it's not about being better than anyone else; it's just being the best version of you really.

Sarah Ellis: Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? I was doing some research for today's podcast and "potential" gets used as a word in a way of describing careers and people and development in organisations quite a lot; I've heard that word quite a lot in my career. But, there's actually not that much out there on, what do we really mean by potential; and, how can you practically go away and think about your potential?

I feel like it is one of those, in some ways, a little bit of an unhelpful word, because it's probably too abstract and we've not really defined, in the organisations that we're in, "Okay, when we say potential, let's be really clear; everyone's got potential". It's at that point that we talked before about, everybody's talented; but I think it's a really interesting nuance that you mentioned around the right time to explore your potential. Because, when we have started really thinking about this and what this looks like, I reckon this is hard work.

The more I started writing about this, the more I was like, yeah, you do need to be in the right mindset, but also just the right time in your life to do this; because, I think at times it will feel difficult and uncomfortable and probably a bit vulnerable, so worth bearing that context in mind, I think, before you get started.

So, we've got three different ways for you to explore your potential, three big ideas. In each of those big ideas, we're then going to talk about some practical ideas for action, so hopefully these will feel useful for you.

The first one is about stretching your strengths. So, exploring our potential, sometimes we maybe go to things we've not done before, or perhaps things that we're not as good at; but actually, there's a lot of opportunity in stretching and growing those things that we're already good or very good at and trying to make those things great.

Actually, I find it really interesting when we work with different organisations. The majority of people have some inclination of what their strengths are, I tend to find; you might need to think about it a bit more, but you've got a good starting point. But actually, how to actively grow and stretch those strengths feels a bit harder; like, "Oh, what does that look like?"

So, three ways that we think that you can stretch your strengths: the first one is to use your strengths in different situations, and this is where I do wish we weren't just on audio, we were also on visual, because I always like drawing this as a bit of a visual.

Helen Tupper: We do look like drawing, yeah!

Sarah Ellis: I do like drawing this idea. But, if everyone can imagine now, and I'm going to have to do it with my hands to bring this to life, imagine some concentric circles, essentially; so, a small circle in the middle and then circles getting bigger and bigger as they go further away from the centre. And I think, when you think about all of the different situations that you can use your strengths, you can try out your strengths in different ways, in different places, spaces, and with different people.

So, to bring this to life even more, I always think of course, start with stretching your strengths in the job that you're already doing, because why wouldn't you do that? That's what you're already spending most of your time on and that's where the obvious opportunity lies.

After that, then think about, how can you think about your strengths in terms of using those strengths and growing them for your team; maybe beyond your team, for your organisation; beyond your organisation, in your industry; maybe for the networks that you're part of; for things that you could volunteer for, or that you already do, or they could be new things; or even side projects, passion projects, hobbies.

When you actually start to do that, you suddenly go, "Well, I've got five, six, seven concentric circles to play with there", and think about, are you using your strengths in all of those different situations? Have you got the chance to do something different, to volunteer for something, to try something out where you think, "Okay, well one of my strengths is maybe developing ideas, or coming up with ideas from scratch"; that would be one of my strengths. "Okay, well how could I use that, not just in my day job, but perhaps for a network that I'm part of?" Perhaps that's a network about female development. Or, "How could I use that, maybe for our whole Amazing If team, not just maybe for the clients that I work with?"

So, I think it's trying to come at your strengths from lots of different angles and give yourself the ability to stretch in different directions. Helen Tupper: We also say as well about the frequency of using your strengths to build competency. So, the more that you use your strengths, the better you get at them. So, if you can use those strengths more of the time, in more contexts, I think you just get so much more confident about, "This doesn't have to just be in the day job. I know that whatever situations come my way in my Squiggly Career, that my strengths are able to transfer into those situations as well".

Sarah Ellis: Yeah, and I think it's probably one of the reasons why it's been for a very long time since I've only had one job; and that actually, the idea of only doing one thing doesn't really appeal to me, partly because variety is one of my values, but partly because I see that my strengths can stand out and be useful in different ways and I learn in different ways.

I do some work for the Mayor of London, for the Workspace Advisory Board, and that's such a different world; public sector is such a different world, that my strengths are stretched so differently compared to anything I ever do in Amazing If. So, that feels like a really good use of my time and it's probably 5% of my time, 10% of my time, but it's a different concentric circle for me.

The second idea is about teaching other people your strengths; and from experience, I think we can both say that when you are taking your strengths and then sharing them with other people, suddenly you really have to think about, what is it you know; how can you talk about it or explain what you know and what you're good at in a way that works for other people, and that makes sense; and that people can take that, that knowledge and that expertise that you've got, and apply it in their own world.

People often say actually, when you look at learning and how to really make learning last, one of the most effective ways to do that is to go and teach other people, other groups. And, this could be as small as thinking, "Who can I help in my direct team to get better at this thing that I'm good at?" They will get better and you will get even better as a result. So, I feel like this is a real win-win. And often, it feels really good as well to share what you know, because you're helping other people to succeed, which always feels good.

And then, the last one on stretching your strengths, and this one I think can feel hard, because you have to really think about you frame this, but it's about learning from the best. So, who are the go-to gurus in the area where you want to explore your potential, and how can you learn from them really actively?

Now, I think the reason this can be challenging, maybe it's just me, but sometimes it could be really hard not to fall into the comparison trap with these people; because you think this is something you think you're good at and it gives you the feel-good factor, and then you go and learn from the best and you realise, maybe I'm not so good! But then, that's an important lesson, isn't it; a life lesson of, there is always someone better; there is always someone who will do something that you can learn from?

I think, as long as we don't fall into comparison and really treat this with curiosity, I think that can be a really healthy way to stretch your strengths. So, even in my mind, I probably have ten people who I think are absolutely world-class at supporting people in their career development. And sometimes I do think, "I wish I was them" or, "I wish I was as good as they are at doing what they do"; but really my starting question is always, what can I learn from them; how could I be better at helping people to develop in their careers, learning from what they do really well?

Often, actually, if I look at Helen's and my WhatsApps between each other, it's often where we have spotted someone from one of those go-to gurus and we're like, "Oh, that's genius" or, "That's such a smart way of doing something". It doesn't mean that we might do the exact same thing, but you can take inspiration and I think it does stretch you and it keeps you, that kind of appetite and that hunger, for continual improvement. That growth mindset, I think, really comes to life when you spend time with those go-to gurus.

Helen Tupper: So, Sarah, then three ideas for stretching your strengths, which were: using your strengths in different situations; teaching other people your strengths; and learning from the best. Which one of those areas do you think that you do particularly well at the moment; and, which one of those do you think, actually that's a, "I should spend some more time doing that one"?

Sarah Ellis: I think I have some strengths that, since I've moved out of working in big organisations, I just don't use as much for Amazing If, because they're not as directly relevant. And sometimes, that depends on also the size of organisation you're in. So, I think I could find some different places and spaces to spend time that would probably benefit from my strengths and I would benefit from doing that. I'm also probably craving a bit of variety, to be honest, sitting in my lounge, as I am, one year on! That's probably my "even better if".

And, the one that I think I am good at is, I do think I am good at learning from the best. I think I have a natural appetite to spend time with people who are just brilliant, and I find it just fascinating. It inspires me and I can get over the comparison thing; so, I think I'm quite good at that one.

Helen Tupper: I actually think it's quite a good question to ask yourself, if you're listening, because there are three different ideas there and there might be one that you do really well; and I think it's which one could be the biggest area of development opportunity for you as well.

So, our second idea to really help you explore your potential is all about developing your risk readiness. So, if you're going to put yourself into some situations that you've not been in before, like some of the ones that Sarah talked about to develop your strengths, there is a level of risk associated with doing those things. Sometimes that risk might feel quite scary and it might put you off doing it, to be honest; you might think, "Oh, I'm a bit worried about using my strengths in a different context; that feels really difficult and a bit scary, so I don't know if I'm going to do it".

What we really want you to do is to be ready for that risk and prepared for that risk. And, being able to see risk and approach it positively, but maybe in a way that you protect yourself from that risk, can really help you to explore your potential, rather than be put off by some of the fears that might get in the way.

So, there are three ways in which you can develop your risk readiness, so that you can put yourself in a position where you can explore your potential.

The first thing is, if you're going to go and do something different that you've not done before, as a way of developing your potential, the first thing is to recognise the risk. Don't ignore it, don't go, "Oh well, it might go wrong; who knows?" but actually, take a moment to think, "Well, what actually is the risk here? What feels exciting and new and how could it benefit my career?"

So, for example, maybe a way that you could explore your potential could be a horizontal move into a different function, or maybe a promotion, or becoming a manager for the first time. They're all roles that could help you to explore your potential and discover strengths and skills that you might not know that you've got yet. That might feel exciting and new for you, but it might also feel quite scary. So, thinking about what is the risk here; maybe I'm not going to be as good at the job as I am at my current one?

Or maybe a risk is, I'm going to start writing a newsletter, for example, and sharing my thoughts every week, and what's the risk? The risk is that people might not read it; or the risk is that someone might write a comment and they might disagree with my point of view. The point here is really, what is the risk; and then the second thing is to be really realistic about that risk. What's the worst that could happen if someone disagrees with your point of view? What's the worst that could happen if you're not as good in week 1 of your new job as you are in week 52 of your current job? Is that really that scary?

Sometimes, the risks that we hold in our mind about certain situations that can get in the way of us exploring our potential are much more significant than the reality. But, when we're really clear about what the risk is and when we recognise, what is the worst that can happen, it is a way that maybe we can put some things around that risk so that we can step into those situations and not be scared by them.

That's really the third point, which is to have a risk-recovery plan. So, if the worst thing that I'm worried about does actually happen, then how would I respond to that? So, I've recognised the risk that this thing could happen; I've been realistic about the impact of that risk, people might not think I'm brilliant in week 1, for example; and then I would think about, well what's my risk-recovery plan?

Well, if that's the case, maybe I will get some feedback on what's working well at the moment and what I could be even better on next week so that I could take action. And it just helps you to feel confident about going into a situation where you're going to explore your potential. You might not know what you're doing on day 1, or you might not feel like your brilliant best when you put yourself into those situations, because growth doesn't always feel easy and exploring our potential isn't always simple; but, if we can confidently approach those things that might feel more risky, then we can take more ownership for the outcomes.

Sarah Ellis: A helpful question I've always asked myself every time I've been exploring my potential in a way that's felt riskier, has always been to be clear with myself: what will be true in a year's time that isn't true today? The answer to that question always reminds me of my "why"; of, why am I doing this; and how will this help me in my career; and why is this an interesting and intriguing way of exploring my potential? Because actually, as I was listening to you describe that, Helen, I think the idea that we talked about first, about stretching your strengths, is all about starting from where you are today.

Whereas, I think this second idea is another way to explore your potential, is to do something different; and I think starting from where you are today inherently is probably slightly safer, has fewer risks. Whereas actually, if you're going to change industries, or if you're going to start your own company and one of the reasons you're doing that is exploring your potential, that's a very different reality that then you're faced with, versus some of those stretching your strengths ideas, I think.

Helen Tupper: I agree. And there are two other models that aren't ours that I've looked at before when I've been thinking about these situations. They are, I guess, career risks that I have taken.

Sarah mentioned changing industry; that's felt like a risk every time I've done it, because I've not known anything about that industry and people within the business. Leaving corporate life and starting Amazing If; they've been some sort of risks that I've taken. But, two models that have helped me with my risk readiness: one is from Reid Hoffman in his book, The Startup of You.

Sarah Ellis: I love this.

Helen Tupper: I like this. He talks about ABZ Planning, although I think it's probably supposed to be AB"Zee" planning, and the idea is, "What's your plan A?", which might be, my plan A was to have a

career in corporate life; "What is my plan B?", my plan B is to go and do Amazing If full time; and then almost, "What is your plan Z?", so if that doesn't work out, what would you do instead. And so mine, for example, was a portfolio career. If Amazing If couldn't be my full-time job, then I would have had Amazing If plus another job, maybe a bit of contracting, so that I could balance those two things; and it's just about having a sort of safety net.

The other alternative way of helping your risk readiness is something called Fear-Setting, which Tim Ferriss has got a really good article on that we will link to, and it's a very similar process. It's about recognising the fear and not letting it get in your way; and it's having risk readiness, overcoming our fears, which can help us put ourselves in a position of potential.

Sarah Ellis: Then, the third idea is about curating your own potential curriculum. So, we often talk about, curate your own curriculum, generally; so, what do you want to learn; how are you going to be really active and take ownership for making that happen? But I think, to move away from this idea of potential being this word that perhaps doesn't mean a lot to us day-to-day, I think you've got to make it real by being clear about, what are your exploring-your-potential objectives?

If you were doing OKRs, Objectives and Key Results, for exploring your potential, what would they look like; and at that point, I think you start to get much more specific. So, you can do things like identify, first of all, what is it that you want to explore your potential in? Is it you want to explore your potential by stretching your strengths? Do you want to explore your potential in something you've not done before, a new skill? Do you want to explore your potential by being in a new environment, in new surroundings?

So for example, this year, the two things I want to explore my potential in, are being a better listener and improving my visual communication skills. Helen, what are yours?

Helen Tupper: I don't know if I've got two; I've just got one really big one. I want explore my potential in properly running our business! What I mean by that is, you know, like being a CEO of a small business, I feel like it's a job I've not done before and I really want to do it. You know we talked at the start about, are you ready for it; not everyone has to be exploring their potential all the time? I feel like I'm really ready to do that and I really want to do it.

I don't know how good I could be at that. I feel I could maybe be really good at that if I focussed on it. So, that's mine.

Sarah Ellis: And even listening to those two examples, you can see we've sort of started from quite different points. Mine are about skills, essentially, and Helen's is more about the role that she's doing. And, there's no right or wrong here but I think, until you do identify that "what", like what is it you're going to explore your potential in, once you've done that, it's much easier to then start curating your own curriculum.

I think, just don't forget the second point, to consider how do you learn best? I think sometimes we skip from what we want to learn to then going, "Right, okay, what am I going to read; what shall I

listen to?" But actually, just consider how do you learn best; how does learning last for you? Is it a combination of things; are you a really visual learner; do you like audio? I mean, I'm assuming you do a bit, given you're listening to a podcast!

But, you might go, "But I don't listen to podcasts. That's not really about learning for me", maybe it just keeps you company on your walks and you find it interesting. But actually, when you're really learning, you like to dive in deeper and you like to read long articles, you like to read books. Do you like to learn by yourself or with other people? How much of your learning do you like to be live versus on demand, so it's flexible and there when you need it?

I actually always find I learn the best when there is some element of live learning. Even though I'm an introvert, one of my friends actually sent me a WhatsApp saying, "You said on the podcast you're not very sociable; do you still want to have dinner?" It was so funny! I was like, "Yeah, of course I do!" It doesn't mean I don't ever like people.

Helen Tupper: What a nice friend!

Sarah Ellis: I know, I did feel awful. But I definitely like being in small, almost quite intensive, learning environments that are very absorbed and immersive. That's always worked well for me, ever since I started in work; but, surrounding that then with things that I can go and do by myself and are more on demand. So, I definitely know what that looks like and it then really helps me to then think about, well where might I find those things?

Then think about, when do you like to learn? Is this something you're going to do every week? How are you going to find time for this? How structured do you want to be? And then, just do a bit of that imaging that we talk about sometimes, where you're clear about going, "Well, how am I going to practise this in terms of exploring my potential? What will it look like in a month's time? How will I know that I've practised?"

We won't talk about it a lot today, but I think a good segue here, or a good thing to think about as you're exploring your potential, is what does deliberate practice look like for you? So, deliberate practice is where you're being purposeful, systematic about making progress on something; and to do that really well, you've got to make sure you've got feedback mechanisms for both yourself and from perhaps other people around you.

So, there's no point me saying, "I want to be better in terms of my visual communication" if I don't actually think in a structural way about, "Well, what does better look like? How am I going to get feedback on whether I'm getting any better? How am I going to give myself feedback? Who else could give me feedback? What does good look like? Who could I learn from?" and just keep thinking then, "How am I going to build that curriculum?"

So, perhaps just combine those areas if you're thinking about this, if this feels like it resonates for you, both you owning your own curriculum, and then also thinking about this idea of deliberate practice. I think they are beautiful twins, if that's a good way to think about it.

Helen Tupper: You've made me think quite a lot when you were talking then; I was like, "Oh, okay". So, if mine's all about being better at my job and kind of growing in my role, and then how do I like to learn best, I'm a bit like you with, I quite like an intense learning partnership; as in, I quite like somebody that I can learn -- rather than big groups, I like a small community, or even just one other person that I can learn from and with. So, that would be mine.

Then, when do I like to learn? Obviously, early in the morning; I'm a real early-morning bird. So I'm thinking, some way of once a week, spending some time with somebody who can help me to learn how to be a better CEO, but maybe doing it pretty early in the morning, like an 8.00 am conversation; that would feel good to me. I know, Sarah's thinking, "Never"! But I'm thinking, a series of breakfast briefings, which I know would sound like your worst nightmare! Sarah Ellis: Oh my God, you just cannot leave corporate life behind sometimes! I sometimes feel like you're like, "Breakfast briefing? Yeah, brilliant".

Helen Tupper: I know, but do you know, when you were talking, I was like, "She's going to hate me for saying "breakfast briefing", but I can't think of a better alliteration. Can you think of, basically I want to learn how to be a better CEO with one or two people in the morning, pretty early? Sarah Ellis: So basically, you've got to find other people who are also morning people?

Helen Tupper: Yeah.

Sarah Ellis: It's a real entrepreneur cliché, isn't it? Get up early, go for a run, learn three things before breakfast.

Helen Tupper: We're not going to run, we're just going to have a coffee, conversation, early in the morning, that's going to help us all learn.

Sarah Ellis: How about "coffee and conversation"; "CEO coffees and conversations" is nicer than breakfast briefings.

Helen Tupper: Okay, CEO coffees and conversations. I was going with cornflakes as well, but yeah, that; that's what I'm going to do!

Sarah Ellis: Do you think by this point, everyone will stop listening?

Helen Tupper: Probably, but I'm going to have coffee conversations with cornflakes with some CEOs!

Sarah Ellis: So, as a reminder, the three big ideas that we've talked about today for exploring your potential: 1) stretch your strengths; 2) develop your risk readiness; and 3) curate your own potential curriculum.

If you've got any other really good ideas, or things that have worked really well for you, or resources that you've read, watched or listened to on potential, please always get in touch with us and share

them, because when we do our PodPlus sessions on Thursday; when we do our other podcasts; and generally, when we put all of our resources on our website, we'd love to hear other ideas.

We don't have a monopoly on wisdom, Helen and I, in terms of --

Helen Tupper: Any way, shape or form!

Sarah Ellis: Yeah, in any topic, or potential generally. So, probably the easiest way to get in touch with us is on Instagram, where we're @amazingif; or you can email us, Helen, at an email address which is…?

Helen Tupper: So confidently said, Sarah! It's helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com, everybody; you can email us there. And, before we head off today, just two other things that might be useful to help you with your learning; another podcast, so if you like this podcast and you want a little bit more career inspiration, you might like the 40 Minute Mentor podcast.

So, James Mitra is the host of that podcast and he speaks to lots of different business leaders; businesses like Bloom & Wild, Olio, WhiteHat, all businesses that we are intrigued by and he gets some really interesting insight from the CEOs of those organisations on their career journeys, how to build businesses, how to lead teams. I have added those into my curriculum --

Sarah Ellis: Yeah, I was going to say, perfect for you. Helen Tupper: -- because, I can do it over breakfast and I don't have to say yes, because they're already speaking! So, you can find the 40 Minute Mentor podcast wherever you get your podcasts from, so Apple, Spotify; just search for that and you'll find that and hopefully, that might add to your learning.

Then also, we just wanted to do a big shout-out to Elizabeth Uviebinené, who is a previous guest on our podcast, and has a new book out called The Reset.

Sarah Ellis: Hooray!

Helen Tupper: Yeah, well done to her. It's all about how we can reset work and life and almost how we use the last 12 months as a bit of a prompt for thinking differently; and I loved reading it and I think it is a really, really good book and we've posted about it on our Instagram. Lots of people have shared their ideas about things they would like to reset about work as well. So, if you'd like to get an insight --

Sarah Ellis: I know, it's so inspiring to read all those ideas. Helen Tupper: So inspiring. But, if you want a bit of insight into resets and things about thinking differently about work and life, just go to @amazingif and you can see lots of the contributions there as well. But, yeah, it's a brilliant book; highly recommend.

Next week, it's not going to be me and Sarah; I'm actually going to be talking to a guest as part of our Ask The Expert series. I am talking to Mo Gawdat, the author of Solve For Happy, about happiness. Mo is really inspirational. I've been on his podcast and we've spoken a few times now and I find him so calming and so insightful and he's got lots and lots of wisdom that he'll be sharing with us.

So hopefully, if you'd like a little bit of happiness, a new perspective on happiness, some thoughts on happiness from an engineer, because that's his background, then please do have a listen to that and let us know what you think. Sarah Ellis: I'm really looking forward to listening to that. I've not followed lots of his work --

Helen Tupper: I love Mo.

Sarah Ellis: -- so, this will be my introduction to him. I know that you do a lot more, so I'm excited, because I know you really enjoyed the conversation when you had it a couple of months ago. So hopefully, people who listen will be as enthused as you were.

Helen Tupper: But, we will speak to you soon, everybody; see you then.

Sarah Ellis: Thanks so much for listening, everyone; bye for now.