Becoming a mentor is very important to giving back and helping others accomplish their goals, but do you have mentors to help guide you to achieve your goals? Do you have your own personal executive team? Surrounding you is a pool of talent ready to help you with your mission. All you have to do is ask. Before you ask, there are a few steps you need to take.
First, decide what type of support you desire. One type of group is your personal board of directors. It refers to a group of people who serve you in various aspects important and individual to you. With this idea, the focus is on you. Another type of group you can organize is your own personal mastermind group. In this group, the focus is on you and the rest of the group. Forming a group with a similar mission to yours is beneficial to you and each member in the group.
Second, consider the people you wish to have in the group. If it’s a personal board of directors you seek, determine what areas of your life or business need help. For example, you decide on a board for your business. You determine you need a cheerleader, a financial adviser, someone with great ideas, a marketing person, and someone who has previous experience in your field. Determine the types of personality characteristics you value. For example, you determine you want people who are positive, energetic, honest, and open-minded. Now you can think makes a good fit for each of these rolls. Once you determine the candidates, find out what you can do for them to provide them with value too. Finally, ask for the support. You coordinate how regular you meet and usually, these are individual meetings because the focus is on you.
In the second type of group, the personal mastermind, you determine what types of people make a good fit to help the overall mission of the group. For example, you are a female entrepreneur specializing in marketing and starting your own business. You are looking for other entrepreneurs with the same mission, but perhaps they specialize in another field or they serve a different market. In this type of group, it is important to meet as a group because a large part of the value is receiving community support. You can lead the group, but there is equal contribution from each member with the focus on helping everyone succeed. Choose one person to coordinate your meetings (time, dates, location and length), and start with defining the group’s mission and length of service.
The personal board of directors and the personal mastermind group are both excellent resources. Deciding on the partners, determining the value to each person, and creating a plan are the keys to success. You may have different groups for different areas of your life. Ensure the people you ask to be on your team understand what’s in it for them and they will feel great about engaging with you on your executive team.
About the author: Jennifer “is a powerful, enlightening, positive force to be around!” Jennifer Darling is a business growth coach. She has worked with 1,000s of small businesses in strategic planning to grow their businesses. She provides consulting for small to medium businesses, and personal development coaching for individuals. Jennifer possesses 20 years in sales, marketing, leadership and personal development for companies such as NBC, CBS, and Comcast. She holds a Master’s Degree in Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising & Promotion.