The concept of coming home’s always been really positive for me. Home's filled with familiar sights, smells and the opportunity to spend time with people who value me, challenge me and appreciate me. (Before you start – I know it’s not always the case with teenagers in the house!).
This financial year I’ve decided to come home. A place where people who matter to me deliver me curly problems. Where they rightly expect I’ll use every bit of skill, experience, intuition and networks to deliver great outcomes, and make myself and them proud.
Some years ago I took the leap and opened the doors to Molto Bene, a strategic consultancy running projects for Rio Tinto, Medibank, TrekWest, The Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation and more. The work was satisfyingly hard, the frequent travel electrifying, and many clients became part of my much-loved tribe.
At the time, I had a young, complex and non-conventional family that needed a lot of my attention. So on a long stopover at Changi Airport, my Catholic and Mother guilt ganged up on me, resulting in me deciding to - SHOCK! HORROR! - take a full-time job again! I applied for a senior management role while in the lounge and 7 days later I'd taken the gig!
This helped on the home front in the short term, some of the people I worked with there are now card carrying members of the Serena tribe of contacts and friends, and some great stuff was achieved. It soon became obvious though that focussing on only one organisation and managing a team in maintenance phase wasn’t enough for me. I thrive on fresh deliveries of tricky problems delivered regularly and am energised by being presented with opportunities to identify and unlock value for a variety of individuals and organisations. A close friend often said things like “If I had a vote, I’d vote you off Employee Island and back where you belong!” (Hello! How lucky am I to have friends who are so engaged with my life that they're prepared to say stuff like this.)
These things are what Oprah calls whispers that you shouldn't ignore, but I blocked them out – thinking I was being “responsible”. In reality I was ignoring hearty shoves reminding me of the role I'm designed to play in society and life. I've spent many years helping others find and adhere to the right pathway forward but turned a blind eye to my own. You know the deal. Physician – heal thy self, Hairdresser – fix your own roots, Sparkie – change your light bulbs. Consultant, facilitator and coach – get it together!
I’ve long been a fan of Ikigai – a Japanese term which translate roughly to “a reason to get up in the morning” and have often employed this when working with clients to help them find their way.
Ikigai is the convergence of four core elements:
· What you love (your passion)
· What the world needs (your mission)
· What you are good at (your vocation)
· What you can get paid for (your profession)
And the space in the middle where these four elements intersect is Ikigai. The Japanese consider it the source of complete value. The process of defining your value can take a long time, but the first step is to regain control of your destiny. The Ikigai concept is a brilliant tool to help define this. It helps you identify the place that makes you happy, allows sharing of gifts, increases good stuff in the world, and literally puts food on the table.
So I sat down and went on an Ikigai hunt. It came as no surprise that where I landed was exactly what I had offered the world through Molto Bene So the decision was made. I called time on having a “job” and came home to “purpose in action”. Day One began with making six calls to previous clients and collaborators. This resulted in two supplier contracts signed and three project discovery meetings scheduled.
That sweet spot where the elements of Ikigai converge was an amazing place to hang out when Molto Bene Mark 1 was in full force. The weather forecast looks pretty fine this time around as well.
What have I learnt?
1. Don’t fear or regret a zig zag in your career path. A zig zag in your path isn’t a sign of weakness but a badge of honour that you’re agile and have learnt new things.
2. Cherish your tribe. If you've surrounded yourself with amazing people and relationships born of mutual respect, celebrate the fact that if you forget to look in the mirror and see how you're travelling, they'll chase you around with one till you do.
3. Make good decisions around burning bridges – Keep open and positive lines of communication open with people and organisations in your rear-view mirror. Unless, of course, they aren’t the kind of people you’re proud to know. Then it’s ok to wish them every success and move on.
4. Recognise what makes you feel light. Whispers aren’t always warning signals of trouble ahead. Sometimes they are a gentle breeze offering balm to the soul. These whispers are big arrows to your best career life.
5. Value what finding your Ikigai can bring. Once found, it’s important to note that there'll still be tricky days, complex problems and occasional rough seas, but nothing worth having comes without complexity. If you find something that makes it worthwhile to get up in the morning, the scars from hard work will heal easily, and satisfaction will be within your reach.
Proud to say that the doors of Molto Bene are open once again. If you’ve got any of those curly organisational problems mentioned earlier – bring them on and we’ll throw all our strategic muscle at it! Additionally, if you are looking to explore more about the concept of Ikigai and how to land on your best next step, love to chat.
Have a great day!
Serena