A Bigger Voice

Do You Have a Personal Board of Directors?

This is a concept I had been mulling for years. Until one day, I realized I already had a personal board of directors. The light bulb went off when I read a WSJ article, on eight tips for setting up a network of mentors. The article draws from a concept called developmental networks.

For a better understanding of developmental networks, listen to this interview I did with one of the authors of the article, Dawn Chandler. The interview was originally posted on site for an online networking group that I run. (You'll hear me make references to principles of "networking naturally.")

While A Bigger Voice focuses on networking as a way to build your community, I hadn't realized the importance of networking for my own personal development until this last year. Networking has allowed me to find mentors to fill gaps that I have as an entrepreneur--e.g., finance, marketing, experience in starting up a company that required more than just me to run it. This past summer, as I was deep into the formation of My Alumni Link as a business, I was tapping into at least half a dozen mentors on different topics. We were meeting on a regular basis, on specific areas of expertise pertinent to that mentor and what I needed as an entrepreneur. Photo by Biology Big Brother.

One of the best ideas of developmental networks is that the sharing is mutual. I have something to give to my mentor as much as he/she has to give to me. I think of this as co-creating (one of those coaching terms that comes in handy to describe collaboration in a new way.)

Whether you are a traditional entrepreneur or a "wisdom entrepreneneur," having a personal board of directors helps. Who is on your personal board of directors? Start networking to find your board if you don't already have one.

And if networking is not your sweet spot, check out my Networking Naturally Program, which starts on Oct 27. Registration closes on Oct 25.

Why Stories Are So Important

"Sharing stories is the way to create a network of passionate supporters that can help spread ideas and make them a reality."

--Saul Kaplan

I came across Kaplan's blog post, "Stories Can Change The World," when he followed me on Twitter. (BTW--One of the best reasons to tweet is to expand your network of ideas and people.) The post is a wonderful reminder of how story, in pure form, is one of the most powerful ways that we can connect to each other and transfer wisdom. So simple, yet so profound. 

I left a comment and included this story of my own:

"Many years ago, I was working in telecom, and had transitioned from an engineering role to an organization development role. One of my tasks was to re-shape the new employee orientation. I decided to hold a monthly gathering where I invited a VP, a first line manager, and technical guru to tell their stories, to share the wisdom they had gained from a unique career path. They each had 15 minutes, followed by Q+A. We sat in a circle and I had lit candles in the middle. I called it our “corporate campfire.”

One VP in particular had trouble deciding what to say. I suggested that he think about what he would say to his grandchildren, on the eve of his retirement. It worked.

Employees would tell me afterward how they had more hope, knowing that people they admire had struggled and gotten through similar challenges. I was also struck by how this monthly forum impacted the speakers. One VP wrote me to say that he enjoyed the chance to speak from the hip/heart, without the usual PowerPoint. Another one talked about juggling child custody schedules with business travel. I doubt he had ever told his business colleagues of such challenges.

Knowing how to tell a good story is a rare skill in the business world. When you find someone who can do this well and in the appropriate context, they are often seen as an effective leader."

P.S. Check out the Innovation Story Studio on Kaplan's site, Business Innovation Factory. The videos are a real treasure and are reminiscent of TED videos (which is no wonder since Kaplan makes references to being guided by the founder of TED, Richard Saul Wurman.)