Who’s Helping You? 5 People You Need On Your Career Team
Posted on October 03, 2019 by Megan Wambolt, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Manager, Mentor, Coach and other roles make a big difference on managing your career. Each role is important to get it right.
WHO IS HELPING YOU?
Are you feeling stalled at work? Are you frustrated, tired or feeling overlooked?
You could feel tempted to blame others but that’s not you. You do push yourself to do more and to try different approaches (to improve your situation) but you still feel a little let down by people on your career ‘team’.
Consider a NEW alternative…Are you expecting too much from each person on your ‘team’?
People/ roles you ALREADY HAVE:
1 – Manager
Problem: expecting too much of your manager.
A manager is responsible for giving you direction in your daily work and for your results today. They are just 1-2 steps ahead of you so they can’t foresee obstacles or development opportunities for your long-term goals. You may not even share your true long-term goals with them.
2 – Comrade in Arms (or your career buddy)
Problem: unconsciously looking to them for guidance (on anything and everything).
A comrade in arms is someone you can share anything and everything with, including venting about today and sharing crazy ideas for tomorrow. They are around the same career level and similar career approach but not necessarily same field or even same company as you. They can’t guide you towards the destination but they can make the ride a little more enjoyable.
3 – Mentor
Problem: you aren’t specific enough.
A mentor (or mentors) is much further ahead on your career path. They can give you strategic advice on obstacles coming and opportunities to consider. They do not want to help with day-to-day problems. They have time to meet with you every 6-12 months. Be specific choosing mentors and be discerning with when/ how you engage them.
NEW people to have on your team:
4 – Sponsor
Problem: you don’t have one! Or you think a mentor is the same thing as a sponsor.
A sponsor can vouch for you when it counts. They know you and they want you to succeed. Whether they are in your field or not, a sponsor is in the senior room where decisions are made that could give you big development opportunities.
5 – Coach
Problem: you think you know what a coach is (and that it’s the same as 1, 2, 3 or 4).
A coach keeps your momentum going. They see internal roadblocks that you are having and guide you through them. They support you and hold you accountable (better than any buddy). They do not have the answers on your specific career path like a mentor but they guide you in knowing when to engage other people on your team and also, in navigating day-to-day challenges. Smart, humble people have coaches to keep momentum.
Next Steps:
Check out www.MeganWambolt.com for more articles and to learn more about me as a coach. If you think we might be a fit, let’s chat!
Reset your expectations of people. Smile. And breathe. Mental shifts like this have an impact day over day that leads to great progress.
