Guest Opinion: Building a personal board of directors
BY MANDI McREYNOLDS | Global community relations manager, Principal Financial Group Inc.
Goodbye, mentorship
“Who is your mentor? You don’t have one. What? You should have one! Make sure they are experienced, have time, and can provide advice for you personally and professionally.”
Early in my career that seemed to be the catchphrase all seasoned professionals told any novice in the room.
In 2012, Scott Gerber wrote a Forbes blog about why mentoring is all wrong. He articulated the need for a broader look at who mentors can be and the engagement process of the mentee. A year later, The New York Times released “Mentors are Good, Sponsors are Better.” Sponsors are those who advocate for advancement and responsibilities for their protégé.
I value all those ideas; however, no single person holds all knowledge or can sponsor all aspects of another’s life. In my opinion, we must consider an alternative perspective.
Hello, personal board of directors
A board of directors has the responsibility to oversee a company or organization’s activities. Each member assesses performance of the organization, oversees effective organizational planning, enhances public image, makes introductions to key stakeholders, and ensures resources. In any healthy business, you would not rest all your decisions and processes on one person. The collective input and effort makes the organization stronger.
The same is true for your strategic personal and professional development. As I was heading into a career transition, I met with “the negotiator” for advice on the career transition and job negotiation. She gave me her card and said, “Consider me on your personal board of directors. We all need them. A group of people who give you sound advice and support to guide you through your personal and professional career.”
I realized at that moment my close network was serving for the past three years as a personal board of directors. I did not need a solo mentor or sponsor to be everything and all things. I desired the sound voice of the collective input.
Below I describe my personal board of directors. I meet with each weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on their role. As executive director of my life, I strive to provide a mutually beneficial relationship to each and use their reasonable input to make solid decisions. They are a multidimensional board, crossing all gender, age, racial and ethnic, geographic, abilitiy, and industry lines.
Read McReynolds’ full submission at BusinessRecord.com.
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The negotiator: Guides me through job and workplace negotiations.
The former CEO and chief community leader: Provides expertise in high-level leadership and change management. They provide guidance and constructive criticism in areas of management, career strategic planning and personal brand.
Former school administrator and public speaking expert: With more than 20 years of administrative experience and background in coaching national champions in public speaking, this director offers a sounding board for dealing with issues related to administration, personnel issues and reviewing draft speeches.
The global advisers: As our society and industries become more globally connected, all of us should have a member on our personal boards who can offer a global perspective.
The supervisor: Provides input on political minefields, organizational savvy and personal development. They work with you on a regular basis and can provide invaluable feedback on your daily performance.
The peers: Colleagues with a similar role at a similar organization can brainstorm ideas for innovation and solutions.
The financial process and analyst manager: Budget coach, financial analyst and process improvement.
The running mate: Hit the road together for 30-60 minutes. No music. This is the board member who keeps you honest and tells it like they see it. They make sure you are healthy spiritually and physically.
The editors: Provide thoughts and input on your area of growth. Publishing has been an area of focus for me over the past three years. I worked closely with a group of writers and editors to review my work and provide feedback for improvement.
The realistic parents: Provide insight to the personal values and priorities.
Raising kids is one of life’s biggest joys and challenges. If applicable, include on your board other parents — stay-at-home parents, working parents and colleagues who are trying to be the best they can be for their family.
The inner artists: Inspire you to be creative and embrace your inner imperfect artist. Cultural capital is must-have for any board. My brother, Ryan, has Down syndrome. He is on my board and teaches me to continually look for creative solutions and to have a spirit of optimism. Dancing with me on tough days is how this board member helps me “shake it off!” Find a person who is an inner artist. Get outside your comfort zone and learn from them.
The board is broad and far-reaching in my personal and professional life. They are invaluable to my success and growth. I encourage you to say goodbye to the rigid model of mentorship and develop your own personal board of directors.
Checklist for your strategic personal board of directors
- Create a list: What areas of growth and advisement do you need? Who can help guide you in those areas?
- Reach out to those on your personal board. Thank them for how they have advised you.
- Reserve time on your calendar to meet with your personal board of directors. Near or far. Buy them coffee or lunch. Set up a phone call.
- What value are you adding to the relationships of your board? How can you start adding value today?
Mandi McReynolds is an award-winning author, educator and practitioner-scholar. McReynolds is the co-editor and co-author of the book “Diving Deep in Community Engagement: A Model for Professional Development.” She is the owner of Mandi McReynolds Consulting. She has spent her career building community relations and leadership programs at a Fortune 300 company, three different higher education institutions, and a statewide nonprofit. She received her B.A. in organizational communications from Cedarville University and M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Speech Communication, Women Studies, and Higher Education from Iowa State University. She was named in 2015 to the Des Moines Business Record Forty under 40 and is a 2015 graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.
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