Building Your Personal Advisory Board: Part 3
This is where most people stop in this process: because it requires vulnerability and action. We talk ourselves out of asking to be in a relationship with others, assuming others are “too busy” or we don’t have a right to take up space on their calendar.
But here’s the thing - many people want to help, and we’re guessing the people who have what you want are likely generous with their time, as payback for what’s been given to them.
With that in mind, here’s the five-step process to constructing your outreach:
Share with the individual WHY you are reaching out to THEM (e.g. what you admire about them, “You’ve always been someone who sees things differently, and has an optimistic lens on the future. I’d like to cultivate more of that in my leadership style.”)
Share your process and your goal. (e.g. “I’m embarking on the process of creating my personal advisory board, as a way to refine my approach to managing my team and improving my personal relationships. My goal this year is to go deeper and cultivate my expertise.”)
Share the progress you’ve made so far. This lets the individual know you’re not relying on them solely to “save the day.” (e.g. “So far, I’ve attended a series of programs at the University of Chicago on building great teams, and we’ve hired The Collective Academy to deliver a series on resilient leadership. I’ve also hired a coach.)
Make your request. (e.g. “I would love to meet with you sometime this month to ask you a couple of questions and see how you’re looking at the future, as well as what you’ve seen about team building from where you sit.”)
In advance of the meeting, send an agenda and a resource you’ve found useful. Before the end of the meeting, inquire whether meeting monthly or quarterly might be possible.