The Importance of Personal Growth

Supporting people in their personal growth is what Otolo sets out to do.  

Career development and growth at work cannot happen without personal growth. Robyn, Otolo’s professional Coach, recognises this and focuses strongly on it throughout the Otolo Mentoring Programme. 

The coaching sessions within the programme are designed to help guide each person through their journey of both career and personal growth, as both are not mutually exclusive. It gives a holistic approach to career progression and growth as a person, which we believe, is fundamental to success and happiness.  

Robyn is a qualified coach for Otolo, and her role guides mentees and mentors throughout the Mentoring Programme. When discussing personal growth, she seemed the perfect person to help us begin to explore the different areas.

We sat down with a coffee and asked her to reflect on her personal growth and how others can do the same. 

• So, Robyn, before we start, can you give us some background on your coaching training and what led you to follow a career path in coaching? 
  Upon leaving university, having studied Theatre, I felt immensely lost. It felt like everyone else had their shit together and knew what they were doing, and were succeeding immediately. I had no idea what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be or what would make me happy. I knew that I wanted to work with people and that I wanted to help people. I wanted some creative license, maybe a teacher or an art therapist. After a long time of deducting and exploring ideas, I stumbled upon Coaching and knew I’d found my perfect fit. It’s a career that is solution-focused, fun and all about connecting with other human beings - perfect!!  
   

• What does personal growth mean to you? 
  To me, personal growth is synonymous with understanding, curiosity and accountability.

  For you to grow, you must first get to know who you are, understand and accept your personal lived experiences thus far and be curious and aware of how that has formed you as a person - for better or for worse!  
  Then hold yourself accountable for the areas that could do with some development and work, but also to recognise and maintain the fantastic qualities you’ve got. Of course, there is much more to it, but this is a great place to start!  
   

• When reflecting on the first 5 years of your career, what are the key things you can think of that helped you grow? 
  Speaking to people that inspired me:

  Since the start of my career, I have made sure to speak to people that inspired me along the way, in particular women who are much further ahead in their careers. During conversations, they might have told me how they’d have done things differently and advised me on growing professionally.
   
  Getting it wrong:

  I was always very afraid of getting things wrong, which, looking back now, may actually have held me back. I definitely did get things wrong, but if I could go back again, I’d throw myself in head first more and listen less to the fear!  
   
  Always offering to do things and working really hard:

  I’d always be that annoying kid that would put their hand up and volunteer (cringe 😂). I’d work really hard and take almost everything too seriously! But doing this has actually held me in really good stead and provided opportunities which I wouldn’t have otherwise had.  
   

• Do you think there is a difference between being proactive in aiding your personal growth and allowing experiences to define it?

• Are there benefits to each, and in which way have you grown more? 
  Oooh! This is a juicy one! I think that life and our experiences shape us and mould us irrespective of having ‘done’ self-work or not. That’s just life. However, personal growth determines how these things shape us and to what extent we’re shaped. It determines the ways in which we’ll move forward from each life experience.

  As I’ve got older and taken time to get to know myself and develop that relationship, I feel much better equipped for what life throws at me and how I can best respond. In years gone by, I’ve not had the trust in myself that I have now, and trusting yourself really moves the needle! Trust me 😉 
   

• If you could think of three experiences that helped you grow as a person, what would they be? 
  Crikey - how deep do I go here?!
   
  My parents separated at a very young age:

  This didn’t feel like positive growth at the time, of course, but now I see how this moulded me as a person. I mentally matured very quickly and learned how much of an empath I am. Interestingly, both of these things are fundamental qualities to what I do for a career now, which I love. So I now recognise how this painful time in my life allowed me to grow, excel and carve a path for a meaningful career.  
   
  Trusting my gut and doing Theatre at university:

  So many people advised me against doing Theatre at university. They told me it would get me nowhere and advised me to do a ‘real degree’. I knew that performing and being creative made me truly happy and so I trusted this decision and went for it! Yes, I am not a West End actor now, but so much of what I learned in that time feeds into my day-to-day. I also had the best 3 years of my life.  
   
  Really bad experience with a past boss:

  I had a boss when I was much younger who was new to being a manager and was channelling some very toxic management styles. Due to my age and inexperience, I had no idea how to combat any of these, which resulted in my leaving and a fair bit of damage caused. It took me some time to heal, but my goodness, when I got back on my feet, I had really grown. I became more assertive and confident and had clarity on my boundaries and how employers would get the best from me (and being unapologetic about these things). It also gave me a better understanding of what job I should have and what doesn’t suit me, and the list goes on! 
  
  Walking away from things that weren’t right for me:

  I didn’t really realise I could do this when I was younger. I genuinely didn’t know it was an option! In recent years I have walked away from a job, relationships and friendships that weren’t serving me in a positive way or making me happy. These things were making me doubt myself and question my own worth, which is a real red flag!

  Life lesson: if something is costing you your peace and mental health, it’s too expensive. Walk away!  
   

• Is there a focus on growth in coaching? 
  Absolutely! That is what drew me to Coaching in the first place, the focus on solutions, growth and moving forward. However, I am a firm believer in one having to be ‘ready’ for Coaching, for growth and moving forward. It takes time and a lot of self-work to be ready for solutions if you’ve been through difficult experiences.  
   

• How do the coaching sessions in the mentoring programme help people with their personal growth instead of their career growth? 
  Our Coaching sessions are created to hold space and accountability for you to explore yourself and any blind spots that you might have (we all have blind spots).

  Our sessions surround three topics, ‘Philosophy’, ‘Purpose’ and ‘Practice’, allowing for a holistic look at your life as it currently stands. 
   

• Are there any topics around personal growth that you’d like to explore? 
  I would like to explore some of my limiting beliefs around relationships, as this is still relatively unchartered territory for me. I’d also like to explore resistance, for example, what it means to let someone down or say ‘no’, as this seems to be a common area that I have some trouble with. Besides this, I want to keep building a strong and nurturing relationship with myself. I learn something new every day! 

If you’d like to join the mentoring programme, either as a mentor or a mentee, you can find out more here: Learn about the programme.

Also, if you’d like to reach out to Robyn and speak to her about any of the topics covered above, you can do here: Email Robyn.