No one is an island and most things worth accomplishing require the assistance, input or support of others in some way. There are people around you that are willing to help you and support you where they can and you will find that if you enlist the help and support of others you may move faster towards achieving the outcome you seek.
Relationships are about give and take. Your outcome is important to you but may not be the highest priority for other people. Whilst they are interested in supporting you and helping you where they can, they are focused on achieving goals in their own life so be mindful and respectful of that. If you are asking for support from someone make sure you identify how you can support them or give back to them in return.
When forming your support team, think about the type of people you may need around you. Perhaps you need some people to simply encourage you, give you moral support and celebrate your wins with you. Maybe you need some people that can provide wisdom and guidance based on their knowledge and experience. Perhaps you need a critic that is going to give you honest, direct and timely feedback. You will most likely need a range of different people. So take some time to identify who you may need and for what purpose. Be humble and embrace your vulnerability so you are best able to obtain the ideal support team for your outcome.
When you enlist their support, make sure you are clear on what you would like each person to do and give them examples of how they can do that for you. Listen to their feedback and value the input, time and support that they are able to provide you. Most importantly, base your expectations of them around what they are willing and capable of doing so that you minimise the risk of setting expectations that they can’t meet. This will ensure a mutual respect in the relationship.
Once you have made your list, sit down with each person and explain what the outcome is you are seeking to achieve and why that is important to you. Provide a “what’s in it for them reason” because then they will feel part of your outcome and will have a compelling reason to contribute in a valuable way. If there is no benefit for the other person you may have to reconsider why you have included them on your support team.
Be prepared and allow for someone to politely decline from being on your support team. It may be bad timing for them or they may not feel confident that they can do a good job for you or for some other reason that they may or may not want to share with you. Respect their decision either way.
Remembering the give and take present in all relationships be mindful of offering your support to them in return, where you can and ensuring you can follow through on the commitment you make to others as well as the commitment you are making for your own future.
What relationships and connections with people do you need to maintain or develop in order to help you achieve the outcome you seek?
Make a list of everyone on your support team, specify why they are important for your outcome and what you need to do to cultivate your relationship with them or what you need them to do to give you the support you need.
