What is a “personal board of directors”? Maybe this phrase is new to you or maybe you have heard it before and want to think about a refresher of your “board.” I’m not sure where I first heard that phrase, but it has been around for years and if you have spent any amount of time reading articles or attending conferences surrounding careers, you have probably heard it, too! Read on to learn more about how to create your personal board of directors.

Defining Your Board

The idea behind a personal board of directors is to create a group of people to help guide your career, just as a company has a board of directors to guide the company. 

Think of your personal board of directors as the people with whom you keep in touch regularly about your career. Just as a corporate board of directors has a certain number of people, your board should consist of between 4 – 8 people. Less than 4 is too few, more than 8 can become hard to keep in touch with consistently.

Why Having a Board is Critical to Your Career

What does having a personal board of directors mean for your career? It’s important to find the people in your career that will support you as you continue on your path. As changes occur in your career, it is helpful to have people with whom you can talk through these possible changes. Think about what your career goals are as you create your board – and how their feedback can help you get to your next step faster or see opportunities that you had not thought about previously.

Who to Include on Your Board of Directors

What type of people should you include on your board of directors? Once you have defined your career goals, consider the types of people listed below as possible candidates for your board.

• Supporters – People that will provide positive feedback to you and help you see your strengths and accomplishments.

• Critics – While everyone on your board should want to see you succeed and be supportive of your career overall, not everyone on your board should be a “yes” person. You also need someone that can provide constructive feedback. This person is not negative – but they challenge you to think about options you may not have thought about. 

• Connectors – People that have a wide network and can connect you to others to help meet your professional goals.

• Someone in your field – A person in your field can relate to your industry or specific position and the types of situations you may encounter.  

• Someone outside of your field – A person outside of your field can provide a different perspective. 

• Someone who is where you would like to be – Having someone you can talk to who is 1 or 2 steps ahead of where you want to be in your career is extremely valuable.

• A mentor, sponsor or coach – A mentor is someone usually in your field, that provides feedback and advice on your overall career. They could be someone within your company.  A sponsor is someone within your organization that advocates for you, whether it is for a promotion or taking on a new project. A coach is someone that you have hired, or your organization has hired for you, who is professionally trained, and will help you define and work towards your career goals. 

These categories do not have to be mutually exclusive. You may have someone on your board who is within your industry and is a connector. Or someone who is a critic and who is outside of your field. 

Evaluating Your Board

Your board can and should change over time. Just as directors have terms on a corporate board, you need to bring in new members over time to your board. As your career goals change, you need to have people on your board that will help you reach your current goals.

Thinking about the options above, do you have any or all of these people on your board? If not, who are you missing? 

Do you need help evaluating your network so you can reach your career goals? Let’s schedule a time to talk about how we can work together.