In a special series of three webinars being held by the Institute of Directors and Lean In Jersey, executive coach Tracy Forsyth is trying to help Islanders develop ‘direction and purpose’ in the face of the current uncertainty and crisis brought on by the pandemic.
Her first broadcast session, held on 4 June, aimed to help attendees define their purpose and values, while last week’s webinar, which took place on 11 June, was themed: ‘How to turn your Inner Critic into your Inner Champion’.
Ms Forsyth said that the technique of listening to ‘inner champions’ based on figures you respect and admire, rather than ‘inner critics’ aims to boost self-confidence, and in turn success.
‘You see a lot with people wanting to express unpopular views in the corporate world, which may not be taken on by anybody else,’ she said.
‘Then they become fearful of speaking out because they know they’re not going to get support. So, the inner critic thing is really about identifying your inner critics, which hold you back, and understanding what they are, where they come from and why.
‘Normally there are two things they relate to. One is it is about trying to keep you safe and not doing anything risky for fear. The other is normally related to a value that you hold dear.
‘A good example for me was when I was setting out on my portfolio career. My inner critic would be saying, you’re never, ever going to make any money. How could you possibly do that?’
She said that at times of doubt she imagines the advice strong, inspirational figures would give to her, in her case bold but controversial sportsmen Muhammad Ali and John McEnroe.
‘It’s actually about identifying people whose values you really respect and admire,’ she said.
‘So for me, the example I gave one week was Muhammad Ali because he was very principled, very charismatic, talented and hard working, and he also stood up for what he thought was right.
‘The other one I said was John McEnroe. I only realised with adult eyes that I really loved him because he was fearless and outspoken. Even if people were calling him a super brat, he was not going to be stopped from speaking out.
‘My technique is to have those people in your head and if you’re feeling wobbly or beating yourself up or hear your inner critic start talking, I just think, well, actually, what would Mohammed Ali say to me? Or what would John McEnroe say?’
Ms Forsyth’s final webinar in the series, ‘Work Life Balance: How to have it all,’ takes place tomorrow. Free tickets for the event, which is sponsored by Smith and Williamson, are available on Eventbrite.
More information about Tracy Forsyth, who has worked in the global TV industry for more than 25 years and is a former divisional director for the BBC, can be found online at walterwootze.com.
