A lot of you sure have heard about the board of directors. A group of people in any organization is considered responsible for carrying out the company’s vision and attaining growth and success. But have you heard of the personal board of directors? It is okay if you haven’t. It was a first for me too when I first heard about it. So, let me tell you about it as it can help you to make the boardroom diverse and that's critically important
What is a Personal Board of Directors
A personal board of directors is a metaphorical term as opposed to the board of directors. We can define it as the handpicked group of individuals people can go to for support and advice. They can help you with your career and mental well-being. All the members of the personal board of directors have a unique skill set. In other words, you can say the personal board of directors can make you the CEO of your life and career.
People on the Personal Board of Directors
If you pay attention to the career experts, you will know about one common important thing. Many of them have gone ahead and talked about five people to have on the personal board of directors. They can perform role of the board of directors and they are:
A Mentor
A mentor is a person who supports, advises, and guides a person. Your mentor will take time to get accustomed to your life, your habits, etc to understand the underlying issues and help you to resolve them.
A Sponsor
A sponsor is a person with the power of position. They have influences all around. They typically use their influences to network and create opportunities for others. To have one on your personal board of directors can benefit you immensely. Besides, they can also shape your career and help you lead a better livelihood.
A Coach
A coach is a professional who can work with you to achieve your goals. They look for the weakness of a person inside-out. Post discovering it, they help them become strong both mentally and physically.
Career Guides
At times, you will find yourself stuck in a bothersome situation. You may wish to get out of it desperately but to no avail. In such times, the person you reach out to becomes your career guide. They can be a family member, a close friend, or a colleague.
Role Models
The people you should have on the personal board of directors need not have to be on it. You can, simply, turn up to them hypothetically and ask, “What she might have done in this situation?” and “voila!” you may even have a solution after it. So, you can always look for strong role models from anywhere in the world to keep yourself inspired and motivated.
Peers
Peers are colleagues who mainly are the people working with you. Since they can have a great sense of understanding of what is happening in your current company, you can always count them as a personal board of directors.
All of these people will have a strong interest to see you flourish and prosper both in your personal and professional life. However, Still many people remain oblivious to the benefits the personal board of directors has to offer. It is due to the lack of awareness or knowledge about how intrinsically they can help someone. But as they say, “Never say never” and “It is never too late to begin." So, here I’m with both the knowledge and awareness to explain the value of having a personal board of directors. You can further add to it by learning about the responsibilities of board members.
Value to Have a Personal Board of Directors
Oftentimes, in your career, you must have wished for help or a person who can motivate you when your chips are down. Most of us see that person or help in the family and friends. Counting on family and friends is natural and the right thing to do. But if you have a goal and a vision to fulfill, you will realize how difficult it becomes to find people who can relate to it at your level of thought processing. Hence, it is required to understand why you should have a personal board of directors. The reasons are as followed:
Perspective
Most of your problems stay a problem because you lack perspective. And it is natural to have that problem as we are limited as human beings. It is where the personal board of directors steps in to rescue you from your own miserable self. Each member will have a unique perspective to offer. Following the evaluation of all their perspectives, you can finally find a way to solve an existing problem.
Responsibility
If you are the CEO or owner of a company, you must understand how difficult it is to run and maintain the company. Moreover, you have ensured the progress of the company and the well being of your employees. The entire thing is a lot demanding and after a point, it becomes impossible to run alone as the responsibility is too much. A personal board of directors can effectively share the responsibilities and a breathing space where you can focus on other important things in life.
Advice, Guidance, and Support
Without a personal board of directors, it is more likely that you will find yourself staring at a wall for advice, guidance, and support. It is a busy, difficult, cutthroat world you live in. Unless you have a few backs up to support and guide you, things can become extremely difficult quickly.
Conclusion
Likewise, everything you have read above is to inform and help you understand the importance of a personal board of directors and what value they can add to your life and career.
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Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.