Throughout our lives, we meet people we connect with personally and professionally, yet we rarely think about these relationships strategically. When we begin to recognise them as valuable sources of insight and guidance, we unlock the true potential of networking – and the power of building a ‘personal board’ of trusted advisers.
Much like a corporate board, a personal board is a group that can be consulted on key decisions in a person’s life. The concept is about having regular contact with others who can share ideas, coach and drive you towards your goals. It encourages you to take control of your progress, your connections and the support you seek.
Building a peer group like this is valuable at any stage of your career. While many assume networking is only useful when looking for a new job or opportunity, your connections can provide meaningful avenues for growth and development, in your current role and beyond.
Assemble and regularly engage with your personal board
Imagine you have the services of a corporate board at your disposal – the brightest minds in business to help you advance your hopes, dreams and career.
You can make this a reality by identifying the right group of advisers and drawing on their guidance, advice and alternative perspectives to tackle the challenges you face. They could be senior or junior to you, working in parallel industries, or personal connections who know you well. These are people you can speak to whenever you need help in deciding where to go next and what actions to take.
It’s essential to stay in touch with your personal board. Regular engagement keeps them aligned with your goals and current priorities. If you go too long without contacting them, they might forget the context of your story or miss an important development in your career, so set reminders or schedule check-ins with each member, even if only for a brief chat. It’s both important and polite to keep them updated on your progress when you’ve asked for their advice.
”It’s essential to stay in touch with your personal board. Regular engagement keeps them aligned with your goals and current priorities”
Expand and evolve your network
Once you start to think purposefully about using your network to achieve things, it should come as no surprise that you find you already have useful connections in place. Typically, these are the people you’ve always relied on – your immediate friends, family and colleagues, gathered naturally over time. While these organic relationships can be great in providing advice and encouragement, taking time to expand your network can significantly enhance the guidance and help you receive.
Platforms, such as LinkedIn, all provide fantastic opportunities to connect with people you don’t yet know. With a few simple online searches, you can easily reach a more diverse group. Additionally, by thoughtfully asking your existing contacts for introductions, you can gain access to trusted connections within their circles.
Your personal board needs to evolve as your career progresses. If your journey happens to take a different path, the people advising you today may not be the ones advising you in the future. Treat it as a dynamic asset and adjust the board members as your goals or responsibilities change.
Unlock feedback
One of the biggest benefits of having a personal board is the opportunity to gather feedback. This is useful for anyone – young, old, new, tenured, corporate or entrepreneurial.
By introducing structured feedback sessions, you can gain crucial insight into your strengths and weaknesses to supercharge your development. Some avoid this process, worrying about what they might hear about themselves and what might reinforce their inner critic.
Fearful or not, it’s always worthwhile taking time to check how others perceive you. All feedback is good for your development plans, as perception is key to progressing.
”All feedback is good for your development plans, as perception is key to progressing”
Capitalise on learning opportunities
Personal boards can broaden your horizons, plugging knowledge gaps and creating new learning opportunities. They provide a multitude of soft and hard skills that can be called on as you move through your career.
They’re especially helpful for developing skills that can’t be learned from a textbook but are best gained through observation, knowledge sharing and practice. By connecting with people who excel in areas you’re still mastering, you get practical insights that can accelerate your growth while also building relationships that can support collaboration and help close skill gaps in the future.
Our networks are full of people who have walked the path before us, most of whom are eager to share their experiences. Tap into their knowledge to learn practical skills and study real-world scenarios that can’t be found anywhere else.
Turn insights into reflection
Your personal board can provide a safe space where you can discuss challenges, brainstorm strategies and weigh options as well as risks. For instance, it gives you access to perspectives outside your organisation, helping leaders avoid groupthink and break free from the ‘corporate echo chamber’.
Reflecting on these different viewpoints will allow you to make more balanced decisions, spark new ideas, and be a better leader. After all, the world is made up of a wide range of people, and to influence and lead others, you need to reflect diverse views, not just your own.
Whatever stage you’re at in your career, it’s the right time to make the most of the people around you. Your network is there to guide you, and when you use it strategically, you can unlock opportunities for personal growth, speed up your progress, and reach milestones that might otherwise take much longer to achieve.
Emma Maslen is the founder and CEO of award-winning sales strategy consultancy inspir’em and author of The Personal Board of You Inc. Emma has more than 25 years’ experience in the technology sector, working for household names such as Sun Microsystems, BMC Software, SAP Concur and Ping Identity.
