Professional Development Innovation: Assemble a Personal “Board of Directors”

When faced with a career decision, or even just a sticky situation in your current job, where do you turn for advice?

Most of us probably just wing it, picking a current or former coworker to take to lunch, or perhaps cornering a neighbor on the weekend. But Treva Smith, a recent GovLoop Featured Contributor, says we need to take a more thoughtful approach.

In a recent blog post, Smith recommends developing a network of three or four trusted advisers — what she calls a personal “Board of Directors” — who are willing to listen and share insights from their careers.

To build that network, Smith says:

• Make it easier for potential mentors to find you by getting active in your organization.  
• Check to see if your organization has a formal mentoring program. If so, sign up. 
• Do not overthink reaching out to new people. Most leaders likely started as junior employees — and most probably still have mentors and their own board of directors.

“Making career decisions alone can be tough,” writes Smith, a federal human resources, diversity and inclusion, and business operations professional, with more than 33 years of public service. “Over the course of my career, I’ve discussed new positions, advancement opportunities, prepping for crucial conversations, or even how to find work/life balance with my ‘Board of Directors.’”

This article appears in our guide “How to Change Things up (and Make It Stick).” To read more about ways to innovate successfully, download it here:

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