I’m in a mastermind group with fellow career professionals, and we are focusing on building sustainable private practice. When asked what we want most out of this group, I surprised myself with my answer:

I want to cultivate deep relationships with my peers in this field.

I am a rare bird - I love networking, and meeting new people gives me energy. Most people hate it, but not me. I have a strong network of fellow entrepreneurs in my hometown. I am proud of my extensive online community of career and helping professionals. But lately? I’m longing for #BusinessBesties in the field of #CareerDevelopment.

Through our #narrative tools, we ask our clients to reflect on the influence of other people in their careers and lives. In our game, they’re encouraged to tell stories about someone close to them that played a significant part. In our software, we built an entire tool around getting feedback from a client’s allies on their career trajectory. We ask our clients to mine their deepest relationships, closest allies and key players for clues and ideas on what to do next.
Asking for feedback. Trusting someone’s advice. Identifying our allies. These things take confidence and vulnerability, which both take time to develop.

Our careers change and we develop and grow. Just as we should be updating our resumes and LinkedIn profiles, we should be working on building and nurturing our allies. How do you get deep, and move an acquaintance in your professional network to become an ally you can count on?

Looking to build for your own network of fellow career and helping professionals? Did you know that we host a monthly Community of Practice Zoom video gathering? Learn more and sign up here.