No one is successful alone. We all need help. So even if you’re in a career you love and you’ve got a great job, if you don’t have a strong support network, then you’re missing the number one asset you need to be successful. Today I’m talking about what makes up a strategic support network, and how to get one going. Let’s get started. Hi. I’m Mel Savage, founder of The Career Reset, where my goal is to help you end needless career suffering, and create a career that makes you feel confident and powerful and excited to get out of bed in the morning. Check out my free tools and course and coaching options at thecareerreset.com. So I know a lot of you are like, “Yeah, yeah. I have a good relationship with my boss and people like me. I’m good. I do not need a support network.” And if that’s you, that’s great that you have all those things.
But it’s a very passive way to handle your support network, and you’re selling yourself short. By being less passive and more active with your support network, you’re taking control of your career and accelerating your ability to grow. You will get more opportunities and faster growth if you actively pursue a strategic support network. So here’s what I’m covering today. Number one. What makes a support network strategic, and why that’s important. Number two. The big three pillars of a powerful and strategic support network. Number three. Where is the best place to start with all of this? Lots of good stuff in this week’s video, so let’s start with what makes a support network strategic and why is that important. So strategic is kind of a fancy-shmancy intimidating word that people use that really just means staying aligned with a purpose or a goal. And I don’t mean your life purpose or whatever, I’m talking about a purpose.
So if your purpose or your goal is to get a dream home in a specific neighborhood, what strategic actions do you need to take to get you there? For example, get clarity on what makes a dream home a dream home for you. Hire the most connected agent in the area. Send out feelers or plant seeds with people you already know who live in the neighborhood. Right? Those are three strategic ways to go after getting your dream home. So to get strategic with your support network for your career, you must know what your goal is. Right? Get promoted to a specific position, find a job at a specific company, et cetera, whatever that is for you. And then, your purposefully build a support system to get you where you want to go so you can get there faster, and without making as many missteps along the way. Now let’s talk about what goes into this strategic support network. And for that I had developed the three big pillars. They literally spell the word big, so dead simple for you to remember. And the three big pillars are backup, influence, and guidance. Now the first pillar is called backup because it’s for when you need backup, when you need a wing man or someone you trust to kick your butt to do something.
Maybe someone to come to an event with you, or maybe just an apathetic ear to listen and understand what you are going through after you’ve had a hard day or an embarrassing moment. Or even a completely unbiased voice to push you to do something that you’re struggling with. So this can be people like close friends, a family member, a work buddy to go to an event with, or even a coach as an unbiased voice. The key is to have someone who’s on your side and has your best interests at heart. The next pillar is influence. And these are the people who have influence over you achieving the goal you’re going after. And there may be lots of people in this case, but you’re going to go after the top ones that are the most meaningful ones to you. Some will be key people you work with or who work for you, some will be senior people or seasoned people who could influence the decision-makers for what you’re going after, and some might be even a critic of your work.
Right? In all cases, you want these people to see you at your best. And the final pillar is guidance. These are the people who help you avoid the potholes, and help you understand what you need to do to reach the goal you’re going after. Right? These are your mentors or even a career coach. I know that sounds like a lot of people, and it might be, but once you have it all planned out and you know where your priorities are, a lot of this can be integrated into what you do every day. So the next obvious question is, where is the best place to start? And I’m going to give you an ambiguous answer. I recommend starting with your biggest need. So you have your goal and you’ve identified what you need to do to get there, and decide what you need within those three big pillars of your support network, and then you can start. You can start with your biggest gap, i.e. you need to get a mentor to guide you on the major skills that you need that you’re going after.
Or instead of going after your biggest need, you can decide, “You know what? I want to build up some momentum by tackling some of the smaller stuff first.” I don’t really think you can go wrong. As long as you keep your support network top of mind and are actively and purposefully strengthening it, you’re doing great. If you want to learn more about building a strong support network and creating a powerful career plan or a career that you love, then get my free download Get the Career You Want, the six step by step strategies to confidently making your perfect career move.
It’s not just about rebuilding your entire career, it’s focused on giving you the step by step framework for building that wildly successful career that you love. So get your hands on that. You can get it in the description or at my website at thecareerreset.com.
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