Listening to the career talks at the EB conference, one piece of advice stood out to me. Katrice Albert, the Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer for the Office of Academic Affairs at Louisiana State University, gave this suggestion- create a personal and professional advisory board.
It is an intriguing idea that most of us probably use already without realizing it. For example, the other day I called a few friends/family asking their advice on something I was working on. They were very informative and challenged me on the next steps to take. Even though most of us use it to some degree, try being more deliberate to take it the next level.
What is an advisory board?
The advisory board is a list of people that can help you, whether this is giving advice, brainstorming, getting a personal contact, etc. These are people that you can go to discuss problems and find solutions. A great board member will ask insightful questions that challenge you. You may have two boards- personal and professional, or just one that combines both areas. The board should be able to help you with specific areas of your life, such as relationships, spirituality, job searching, careers, and whatever other areas you would like advice. This is especially important when job searching and/or switching careers.
Who should be on the board?
Create a list of people that have expertise that you don’t in the areas that you need advice. They should be able to challenge you, hold you accountable, and give advice that you need. Some of these people you probably already know and already have this type of relationship. Others, you may need to contact for the first time. The worst that can happen is that you call or email them and they don’t reply. No big deal. Most times, however, the person will give you the answer, or may be intrigued by your question and tell you to call them if you have further questions. There you have another person to add to your board.
Additional advice for your personal advisory board:
- When contacting someone for the first time with a question, do the background research so that you can ask a concise question. The more specific the question, the better advice they can give you.
- Be sparing. Don’t rely on your board for every little question. Do your research and homework to educate yourself first. You do not want to be a burden.
- Take all advice, whether you agree or not. All advice can be helpful, even if it only provides an opposing view that you had not previously taken note to. It may strengthen you in ways you never thought of.
- Keep it a two-way street. Always be available for your board if they have questions or need someone to hold them accountable. Give some kind of value back to those helping you.
Be diligent- start creating your advisory board and get the advice you need. Become successful and help others do the same by sharing your advice as well.
