Don’t Just Find a Mentor, Make an Advisory Board

The word ‘mentor’ is overused and it is really an awkward position to put someone in, when asked ‘will you be my mentor?’ Instead I call a group of people that I talk to on a quarterly basis my ‘advisory board.’ If the President of the United States can have a group of advisors, so can I. When it comes to problem solving, I try not to silo myself or become a hermit in a cave, but instead I reach out and find others that can give honest feedback and many opinions to looks for trends and create an approach to the best way to move forward.

Well-known businessman Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” You need people who will offer a challenge to you and make you a better person, thereby raising your game or helping you get to a goal — whether it’s advisors, co-founders, mentors, family, friends, etc.

Next is the task of finding such advisers. These advisers are not just found in the white pages of a phone book or a random search of CEOs on LinkedIn.

Here is what I have best found to really create a targeted group of advisers. Sometimes the people we hang out with the most are not always going to challenge our beliefs and may even foster limiting beliefs.

Exercise # 1: – Exercise to identify current state and where you want to go

1. Who are the 5 people you spend the most time with in your life currently? How are they like? What are the top 3 qualities each of them stand for?
2. Do they match who you want to become in the future? Do their qualities match who you want to become? Do they help enable or disable your vision for yourself? Do they elevate you or bring you down?
3. Who are the top 5 people who embody the qualities you desire? They should be people you aspire to become and/or respect in some way or another.
4. What are the qualities you want to possess? What is your ideal self that you hope to become? What person do you want to be?

Now apply those questions below.

Exercise #2 – Exercise to find your challengers

Look through your contacts and see if you can find people that force you to think differently. Here are some questions to help.

1. Who will give you honest feedback about your resume and help you rewrite what you actually mean? For example, this could be a recruiter or a colleague.
2. Who will tell you the honest truth about you? This could be a colleague.
3. Who is at a level above where you are in life?
4. Do you know someone who is an entrepreneur and has been in business for at least 3 years? Find someone who has gone out on their own and away from the corporate world. They can give an insight of the challenges they had to overcome to become successful in business.
5. Do you know someone who works at a different company? Or works in a different industry? They can give insight in how a company shapes innovation or possibly lead to that next opportunity.

Exercise #3 – Be Brave Reach out and start asking questions

Don’t procrastinate! Make time on your calendar to reach out for a 30-minute phone call or even better meet for coffee and lunch and ask to bounce ideas off the people who you have selected.

Once you have confirmed an appointment. Research the person and their achievements and try to have an understanding of what they do for their career, if you are unsure, this is a great way to start formulating questions.

Here are some questions to get the conversation going:

Questions – Start with YOU then ME

“Adviser Questions”

• Anything FORM. Form is an acronym for family, occupation, recreation, and motivation, and it represents four universal rapport-builders.
• What are you most proud of?
• How do you spend your time?
• Why Do You Do What You Do?
• What do you do to constantly challenge your underlying beliefs and assumptions?
• What Are You Trying to Accomplish This Quarter?
• How and where do you find inspiration?
• What values are you committed to?
• How do you encourage innovative ideas?
• How do you balance your work and home life?
• Do you have any books that you would suggest I read?
• What used to be your biggest weaknesses?
• What professional organizations are you associated with and in what ways?
• What’s One Question You Wish You Asked Earlier?
• What One Thing Do You Still Struggle With?
• What Factors Do You Consider Most Often When Planning for the Future?
• What Mistakes Have You Made?
• What’s the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?
• How would you describe your personal style?
• Do you have a mentor? How have they influenced you?
• Would you do anything differently if given the opportunity?
• How do you keep your feelings separate from your decision-making?

“Me Questions”

• What would you do if you were me?
• What Can I Do Better?
• What Would You Do if You Were Me?
• Who else would you recommend I connect with? (This might be a great way to get a foot in the door at another company)
• How can I help you?
• How Would You Like Me to Follow Up?
• If a specific question comes up, can I follow up with you? What is the best way to reach you?
• Would you review my resume and give me suggestions?
• Would you give me an honest review of my idea or help validate it?

Afterwards, ask yourself what you learned from the meeting and how you can apply your new knowledge. Also don’t forget to keep in touch with your adviser and send a thank you email or note, then follow up if you can every quarter.

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