Photo by Laughlin
Do you have a team of trusted advisors? Yesterday’s post, talked about being Random or Deliberate as we start this new year, new decade in 2010.
I mentioned that I as I made the various decisions recently I spoke with members of my team of trusted advisors.
Whenever I make a major decision - that would be different than deciding which shoes to put on or what to put in my coffee – a major decision, like quitting something or starting something new, contracting with something, hiring someone, a major purchase, or travel plans, I generally talk it over with members of my team.
My team members never met together for a meeting and in many cases, they don’t even know each other. My team members include real life / same city friends, real life / across the country friends, online only friends, and some are both. My team of trusted advisors is constantly changing as I meet new people or realize they have experiences and expertise that would help with my decision.
- The qualities they have in common is I value their opinion, see them as intelligent, caring people who genuinely want the best for me, and most importantly, know they will tell me the truth.
- I weigh the opinions of my team, evaluate their concerns, decide if I can live with the consequences of possible negative results if I go in a direction one or more team members feel is not the best choice.
- I ask enough people to see if there is general consensus.
- I investigate the issues that my advisors point out as potential pitfalls.
Throughout this process, I pray. Not everyone would agree, but for me, prayer brings me close to my most trusted advisor, my heavenly Father. It often feels as though I am directed as to who to ask about a certain decision. And when I finally make that decision, the sense of peace that comes over me assures me that it is the right one.
Do you have a team of trusted advisors? If you don’t. as you move forward in your career or life decisions, maybe it is time to make some changes and find your team. To live life deliberately means that your will be making decisions, perhaps many of them. Having your team on board makes that much easier.
Very nice post, Julie – we have a lot of support people out there whether they know it or not (for me, Chris Brogan comes to mind and is mentioned in my blog post today along these lines.)
I like your thought about prayer too – it’s a defining and strengthening element for you. Thanks for sharing. I have close friend who defined prayer as a ceremony for setting intention. I love that. Hasn’t left my mind since he said it.
Happy 2010, Julie.
I can see how this post and your previous one are tied together. Most people, I would surmise, do have a team of trusted advisors (e.g. friends they use to “bounce ideas” off of). However, if they don’t think about their circle of friends in that way or use them in a purposeful fashion, the resulting actions will be more haphazard.
[...] I also do my own informational interviewing with both colleagues and clients. For the past few years, with clients, I periodically pick one to have lunch with and just get to know each other. Usually this is a client I have bonded with, worked with over a period of time and perhaps have gotten to know personally in my office setting. Some of those clients have also become part of my team of Trusted Advisors. [...]
[...] Everyone needs at least one mentor [...]
Thanks, Joe. I’ll run over and check out your post soon. Actually, I thought of listing some details of my trusted advisor team… you and Jason would both be on it as well as Dawn Bugni but then there are others that have less visible online presences and I thought maybe I would just leave it generic. You know that there have been multiple times I have reached out to you. You still were the push that started me blogging too… and look what happened with that! LOL!
For me prayer is a daily thing but when I make big decisions, I understand the verse that says Pray without ceasing. It isn’t so much that I am constantly praying but that it is a conscious and continuous process during such times.
Good point, Melissa and nice to have you back to visit! The other factor that I only touched on is that my team is well-qualified to support me. If you get feedback from people who give you bad advice, uneducated advice, risky advice, or advice from their own inner fears, then you may make the wrong decisions.
Exactly, and thank you for bringing up that point again. It’s important to keep in mind the quality of your team.
As well, you should ensure that the person giving advice doesn’t have any hidden agendas. I’ve seen that scenario hurt people — pretty sad.
Thanks for a great blog!
Thank you, Melissa, for great comments and I hope to see you here again and on Twitter!