Disrupt yourself!
You’ve probably heard the term ‘disruption’ by now. Some high-tech companies like Uber, are fundamentally changing the way traditional businesses function. I was at a conference yesterday where I heard Ethan Song, the co-founder of Frank & Oak, a Montreal-based online clothing retailer talk about the importance of companies staying agile in ‘the age of disruption’. He eloquently said that companies cannot wait for disruption in their marketplace to happen. Rather they need to disrupt themselves, constantly challenging their team members to improve, check assumptions and make themselves uncomfortable in the name of evolving as a business.
‘Disrupt yourself’. This phrase echoed in my ear. Why can’t individuals (not just businesses) do this too? Don’t we need to do the same thing to ourselves — constantly challenging ourselves to get better? If we don’t disrupt ourselves and stay agile, we will be fragile when change comes knocking.
And then I realized that coaching is one of the best ways to do this — to disrupt yourself. It is not easy to change and get better. It is not easy to learn how to be a manager, or to lead a business. We are human and we resist change. Sometimes we lack self-awareness to see what needs to be done to improve. Sometimes we just don’t want to do hard things, even though they may benefit us in the long term. But there is a solution — using professional coaching is one of the best ways to challenge your assumptions, search for improvements, and harness efficiencies in the way you work.
Tech industry people love to talk about ‘hacks’ — finding them, using them, leveraging them for gain. When I reflect on what coaching really involves, it sounds a lot like ‘hacking’. In other words, helping someone hack a problem they’re facing — whether it’s figuring out how to delegate, managing a difficult team member, or asking for feedback. Or maybe coaching can help you with the most challenging hack of all — managing and controlling your own psychology (reactions, impulses, ‘demons’), so you can run an outstanding business.
At the same conference where I saw Ethan Song speak, I also heard the COO of Shopify, Harley Finkelstein talk about the importance of coaching at their company. They have 8 full-time coaches at Shopify. For only 1200 employees. With that ratio, that is an amazing investment they are making in driving professional growth. Sounds like they are helping their managers and leaders to disrupt themselves.
Disrupting yourself is hard, which is why founders, leaders, CEOs, and managers need coaching to help them do it. Disrupt yourself. Ask for help. Get some coaching. Hack your problems. Be your best.
