Do you have Trusted Advisors?
So often senior leaders at the top say they don’t have anyone to talk to and to seek advice from. Yes, it’s lonely at the top. Regardless of your level, have you cultivated a set of trusted advisors, people you can reach out to for constructive counsel, honest feedback, and a listening ear? Or, for industry knowledge and shared advice? Or, to help you make decisions about where to take your career next?
If not, how do you start now?
Consider these steps:
First, consider what you would actually like to get from these relationships and how much time you are willing to invest to make them effective. Are you seeking professional support, career advice, or both? Considering the investment of time you are willing to make in maintaining these relationships will help you determine how many relationships to build.
Ideate a range of individuals, whether you currently know them or not, who:
Have skillsets and knowledge you could benefit from
Empathize with and understand what you are going through
Are able to share insights, because they’ve been there and done that
Can be real and allow you to be honest and vulnerable
Will be a good listener and ask great questions
Will stretch you
Will tell it to you straight
Will have your back and encourage your forward momentum
Not all of these people need to be senior to you or have more experience. You may want to find someone earlier in their career who can provide perspective on a growing function or what younger employees want from employers. You might want a peer at a similar company with whom you can share best practices.
Map how the relationship might be structured. Will you want to hold regular, planned meetings? Do you just want to touch base as needed? Both? Have an idea of what you might prefer and feel you need. Once you’ve identified your advisors, co-create your final approach with them. Make sure it works for them.
Act! Reach out to the people you’re interested in connecting with and ask if they’d be open to becoming a trusted advisor to you. So often we don’t directly ask for such support, while most people are more than willing to help.
Finally, proactively manage this group. Your network of advisors may need to change over time as your needs shift. Be open to ending the formal relationship if the time comes.
We often realize we could use this type of support in a moment of crisis. It’s really helpful to be proactive and think about having advisors before those times hit. In doing so, you might just be able to avoid the crisis to begin with.