No one succeeds on their own, and we all need as many friends and mentors as we can find to help us navigate successfully and speed our time to success.
In that sense, it’s often useful to get the perspectives of people who have done your job or a similar one before, which makes them experts on the challenges of your role, the strategies that have worked best in the past, as well as what might work going forward.
When I took on the role of Chairman at a local non-profit, I had individual chats with each of the people who had been in the role before me. While some of the information was outdated, it nonetheless gave me useful perspective on the politics of the place and how best to manage the various constituencies.
It saved me from some potential pitfalls (like “Mr. X has tried to pull a fast one twice already, so be careful of his motives”) and gave me ideas on fertile areas for exploration (“The next big thing will be investing in the technology, which we didn’t have the money to do back then”).
And if you can, do what my successor did: Deb brought together all the past chairs for dinner and built an informal “brain trust”, a group she could bounce ideas off of and learn from. What a courageous and brilliant idea, and well-executed. Well done, Deb!
Identify one or two people who have done the job you are doing or a similar one (and who it would be appropriate to speak to), whether in your organization or elsewhere. Reach out to them today to have (or set up) a chat, whether over coffee or over the phone.
Ask them about their experiences, particularly the challenges they had to navigate, and the strategies that they employed. Use those listening skills to learn.
By the way, it’s just as relevant to learn from someone who struggled with the role as it is to hear from someone who aced it.
What was the nugget that you got from these “experts” who have walked in your shoes?
/month
$180 billed yearly (Save $48 per year)
Everything in Foundation, plus:
30-day money back guarantee.
Cancel anytime.
/month
$480 billed yearly (Save $108 per year)
Everything in Growth, plus:
30-day money back guarantee.
Cancel anytime.
May is an executive coach, speaker, advisor, and author of the #1 international bestseller VISIBLE: How to Advance Your Career Without Playing Politics, Selling Your Soul, or Working Yourself into the Ground. She’s a seasoned business executive with a passion for helping leaders be the best they can be.
As an executive coach and mentor, May brings 24 years of front-line corporate experience and expertise, most recently as COO of Morgan Stanley Europe, to help professionals overcome (often hidden) obstacles, advance to the next level in their careers and reach their full potential.
