6 – One Mentor is Not Enough – Build a Dream Team

Hey there. Welcome back to another episode of Innovate Your Life Podcast. I am your host Mary Michael. My goal is to help you tame chaos through innovative mini-blue prints to help you save time and energy so you can focus on what is most important to you in life.

This is another solo episode from Mary Michael. I am hearing you all want more of these one to one talks so here we go … this has been a game changer having a personal team of advisers. This is my dream team.

When you see me speak … what you don’t see is my dream team behind the scenes keeping me accountable. They make me who I am. They keep me going to push beyond my comfort zone. They listen to my results and failures.

If you were like me when  I started my career, everyone said you need a mentor.Mentors can are great people that offer an inspiring source of personal and professional advice.They can also serve as a sounding board for working through challenges and tough situations. They can also offer a safe space for sharing your goals, your aspirations and your fears.

Sheryl Sandberg author of Lean In has a quote about mentors and the difficulties.

“I realized that searching for a mentor has become the professional equivalent of waiting for Prince Charming. We all grew up on the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty,” which instructs young women that if they just wait for their prince to arrive, they will be kissed and whisked away on a white horse to live happily ever after. Now young women are told that if they can just find the right mentor, they will be pushed up the ladder and whisked away to the corner office to live happily ever after. Once again, we are teaching women to be too dependent on others.”― Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Finding mentors can be difficult, and if when you do find one, no single mentor is likely to have the ability to support you in all aspects of your professional and personal life.

That’s why I always say that you should consider gathering your own personal board of advisers comprised of several different mentors that represent different aspects or themes of your life.

Think of yourself as your own company with you at the controls as CEO of your life. Like any CEO of a company would assign a board of directors, think of someone you can appoint to your personal board of advisers. This is someone  who can provide expertise that you lack, and someone who is available and interested in serving on your “board of directors.“

Another great quote from one of our guests is from Dr. Glenna Crooks, Author of The NetworkSage: Realize Your Network Superpower says “You need a pit crew” as she writes in her book because she said if famous actors can have a pit crew so do I.

So my question to you – do you have a pit crew? Who is going to support you achieve your goals? Who is going to hold you accountable?

Well the good news is that I came up with 7 questions you can answer to start you on your way to building your dream team of advisers.

Question #1: What is the difference between a team of advisers vs a mentor?

Mentor

You have probably heard more of a mentor. It became the rage of 1990s and 2000s. A mentor can be: someone you admire. You may know them personally, but you may not and could be part of the same association. A mentor could also be a book, a podcast, or online articles from a person who you respect. Timing – usually mentor programs formal or informal last 6 months to a year with monthly check ins. Most companies or associations offer formal mentoring programs and can vary per programs if it is a group or 1×1. Usually the mentor teaches you or offers guidance and there is no deliverable

Adviser

We all know the word advisers from ‘financial’ or business advisers from a president’s advisers. But it is important that you think of yourself, you deserve a dream team. Now, advisers are 3 to 5 people who are going to be on a dream team to advise you to be better at what you want to achieve in life (remember there are many aspects of life). They are experts in certain area or aspect of life that have achieved results.

Recruit them to be part of your personal advisory board. Personal advisor board is going to help you in all aspects and help you get to your vision. You are clear on your vision and your team members are going to fill a specific reason to help you get to your goal. So for instance you started a business and you have a vision, you don’t just want feedback you want honest truth and accountability for 1 to 3 year period meet about every quarter to review your results.

Question 2: So what does a personal adviser team help you do?

Personal advisory board is going to help you in all aspects and help you get to your vision. You are clear on your vision and your team members are going to fill a specific reason to help you get to your goal. So for instance you started a business and you have a vision, you don’t just want feedback you want honest truth and accountability for 1 to 3 year period.

So you need to start the journey of mastery and be hungry and desire and fully committed to your project. You want to get to that vision to get those results.Your team is basically what a board of directors is to an organization – a small, but important group of professionals or experts that guide decision-making and provide critical input and advice.

For you, these are people in your network who you can reach out to now (more on this below), and then seek out their advice once you’ve established a relationship. You’ll likely talk to some of your advisers on a weekly basis via e-mail, phone or Skype, while others you’ll connect with monthly or an as needed basis.

The key is to stay in regular, ongoing contact with your team, sharing updates, developments, appreciations, setbacks and, achievements. This is how you get them vested in your success.

Question 3: How do you determine who should be on your team?

To determine who should be on your team, first identify what you’re trying to accomplish. This could be jump starting your career, building a new business, or doing something else that matters to you.

What are aspects of your life?

Career

• Moving up in your career
• Changing professions
• Growing your business
• Entrepreneur activities

Life

• Parenting or caregiving
• Financial / Investing
• Spiritual
• Physical wellness

From here, list the areas where you’ll likely need additional support and expertise (i.e. in my business I need help with launching a book or maybe you are changing your career and need to be held accountable for growing your network, etc.). I recommend keeping this to three to five key areas and this might translate to the same number of advisers on your team.

Once you identify where you need support or where you want to focus in life, it’s time to start building your team.

Question #4: Who is ideal for your team?

What stage are you in life?

Just finishing college – maybe you can find a few rockstars you have access to … Might be a business community, in your network, or a professor

As you build creditability – you can build up and grow to a global level. An advisor is not someone you meet on the street and ask if they want to be your advisor. You want a couple of conversations and grow the relationship. You want to hear the results they have accomplished.

You want to build a relationship! Pick people who push you out of your comfort zone and you don’t want to let down. Don’t let that person down because you respect them. They will help you grow past your fears. When you have them on your team, you can grow your confidence in that area of life.

The team will evolve and it will change and that is OK. The team will be different each year and as you learn from each advisor and get to their level it is important to have a change.Think of all aspects, – for my team, I always have someone that has been successful in business, who can I lean on that or someone that is going to hold me accountable … someone that can keep you grounded , or an ideal relationship

Question #5 – How do you ask?

Identify the person:

First – look at your current network – LinkedIn connections, Facebook friends, current or former professors, family friends, etc. – to see who could fit in your gap areas that you have identified in question 3 .

Then, ask for an informational meeting with your potential adviser. Explain what you’re doing and why you’re seeking their help, as well as what type of support you need from them and what this might look like

Not everybody is going to accept your request to be on your adviser, and that is perfectly okay. Don’t focus on the negative and the people who said no, instead, focus on getting to yes.

Ask in person or phone or email

“I have been inspired by you for your years. You run your life and this particular aspect of your life  ____________ is run exceptionally well. I am starting a team and asking a few people that I respect to help in being on my advisory board and would love for you to be a part of my life and be on my board.

I am going after my dreams __________________________________________and I would like to have your wisdom help me reach my results. It is a 15 to 30 minute quarterly phone call based on the results that I have achieved. The value and feedback you are bringing will help me and help me grow to the next level.

I want this to be fun and something you don’t think about. Would you be interested?”

Once someone agrees to become your adviser, always treat this relationship with the respect and professionalism. Always give “thank yous” and create as much value for them as possible. If you have some extra funds you can offer to donate to charity and in their name.

It’s important to note that over weeks, months, and years, new advisers will enter your life while others may retire. What should always stay firm about is the respect you have for your advisers and former advisers.

Question #6 – How many people do I ask?

I always say about 3 to 5 people. These are people who you can tap into and feel invested in you. The more they invest in you and the dream team can become a huge asset

Question #7 – What expectations and communications do I set?

Do you have a challenge or feedback on where I want to be? Write down and follow through You can do an email and phone call check in – work with what ever they have …Be able to reach out and this is what the results.

If you don’t get results and get accountability … then this may not be the best route to have an adviser team.

State … Here is what I achieved and here is what I didn’t

Do an ‘inspect and adapt’ if it makes sense the value at the end

Leveling up – once you have achieved what they have … you need to move on to another adviser

Create a set of clear goals and expectations for you and your advisory board and do it every quarter

Final Thoughts – What do you want to do or Grow?

Tell us what you want to do?

Comment below what you want to do and grow?

Hope you enjoyed this episode. We will see you next time.

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