Finding Your Voice

Introduction

What others think is a significant factor professionals take into account when they make choices for themselves. Sometimes, it can feel like your voice and needs get muted underneath what is expected or what actions should be taken. That's the exact pressure Kim Ho was experiencing when she met Christina, founder of Intently, and took the brave step to be vulnerable. 

Kim Ho is a professional focused on her personal development and bringing her best self into the workplace. But, she hadn't always had that focus. As a current Director of Sales for a behavioral health organization and a career in the corporate and healthcare sales sector, her focus has always been "what's the next step" or "how can I move up the corporate ladder." 

The Challenge

Kim didn't know what her voice was. She made her choices based on the wants and needs of what others wanted or expected. This lack of confidence in her voice and her intentions affected her personally. The corporate ladder she focused so heavily on was focused on what everyone else thought she should do. 

She needed to find her voice, build confidence in it, and create skills in communicating what she needs and wants more powerfully. Intently's coaching programs were her answer to her personal development. 

After meeting and considering the engagement, Kim knew the solution would be 1:1 coaching, and later The Modern Leadership Lab group coaching, to focus on finding and developing her voice, and building personal tools and processes that could help her intentionally determine her next steps, career, and otherwise. 

The Experience - One On One Coaching

When Kim's journey began, she knew that something had to change. Focusing on others' expectations was not fulfilling her goals, and she needed to focus on herself.

In the 1:1 coaching engagement, Kim has the opportunity to dig into her most significant personal challenges:

1. Finding and keeping her voice
2. Building confidence in herself and her choices 
3. Determining her next moves and her career progression. 

Through ongoing one-hour sessions, Intently was able to push Kim to discover new aspects of herself in unexpected ways. Kims goals were always tied to tangible things like titles, awards, opinions — basically anything that could be labeled external. Now, after going through Intently's coaching program with Christina, the work Kim tries to do is intrinsic, ensuring that the internal feeling is right. 

With that value in place, they created a process that focused on what Kim loved and enjoyed about her past positions so that her next role, or step up the corporate ladder, was intentional on her part. She would know what she wanted, and the next position would hit all of her internal values and goals like being rewarded internally, fulfilled, and a position that would give her strength. 

The Experience - The Loyal Leaders Lab

Kim was one of 3 people to take Intently's first group coaching experience. Having been a current 1:1 coaching client of Christina's, she knew that this new offering would be meaningful and push her to develop as a professional even more.

Throughout an 11 week course, in which participants dedicate 2 hours each week to meeting virtually, Kim experienced a connection she did not expect. It was a community where she not only talked through her troubles, but she was able to listen to her cohort speak through their concerns and challenges. It turns out, each of them had very similar things they were working through.

Each meeting allowed for growth by creating a predictable structure for each class to discuss and the supplemental reading and assignments to reinforce the material. While it seemed like a lot at first, Kim quickly realized that it was necessary to cover everything that needed to be covered. It also helped with continuity to see everyone weekly and pick up right where they left off.

The group coaching format allowed her to explore a side of herself that most people shy away from—vulnerability. There was an immediate sense of intimacy because each group member was pushed to share the personal "stuff," feelings, and challenges. Kim felt that it fostered a safe environment, and they were able to find fellowship with everyone being on the same page, "You go into it feeling vulnerable, but by design that feeling goes away." 

The Results

Communication

Kim's engagement with all aspects of Intently has helped her create a common language to communicate how she progresses, how she's feeling, and how she could level up to the next development space. 

She was so impacted by her experience, she has even recommended some of her closest friends to working with Intently. This has allowed them to create a shared common language to use and to allow them to be more open and vulnerable. She is very open with her journey of self work with others and often shares her lessons with strangers, allowing her to connect even faster. 

Accountability

One-on-one coaching and The Modern Leadership Lab group coaching experience held Kim accountable to her commitments and her progression to excel professionally—one of her primary reasons for starting the coaching programs. It has also become pivotal in her development because Intently is an unbiased resource. That accountability piece plays into both holding to your commitments and checking in to ensure you are on track to being the person you set out to be at the start of the engagement. 

The continued support has allowed Kims' results to last long term and improve her professional development. 

Confidence 

One of the most tangible results Kim has experienced is with her employer. As someone that constantly puts others first and did not have her voice, a huge accomplishment was using her new communication skills to set expectations with her employer. Kim had a goal to move into a different part of the organization. 

She worked with Christina and had several prep conversations to help her frame the work and values she worked so hard on and verbalize it to the owners. She was confident in her found voice to come into the meeting and share what her desired new role would look and feel like, and what it was worth financially.

‍