You can’t do all it all by yourself, none of us can.
❓Which valuable relationships help you deal with your professional and personal successes and challenges?
❓Who are committed to your own success as well as their own?
Last night, I spoke on negotiations with GEMS which stands for Growth, Education, Mentoring, and Success. Founded by Peggy W. Etheridge, CFP® the Managing Partner of Willow Bend Wealth Management. GEMS is a group of executive and entrepreneurial women who get together four times a year for topics of discussion relevant to upper level women. I was referred by Kristy Bonner who is also a member of my peer advisory group, the Diamonds.
Years ago, Michelle Adams Susan Tidwell and Alysen Northern asked other high-powered businesswomen to commit their time and energy to support each other. A longtime member, my friend Ginger Shelhimer asked me to join. Recognizing we are all works in progress, we call ourselves the Diamonds short for “Diamonds in the Rough.” Diamonds support Diamonds. We attend each other’s speeches, support causes, meet for happy hour, and advise each other.
Like jewels, the relationships in Diamonds and GEMS are valuable and precious.
✔️Consider joining or forming a peer advisory group. These groups are established to support each other’s efforts, challenge each other to grow, and obtain better results. The members become your personal board of directors, and you are theirs.
✔️Some peer advisory groups are created through a formal structure and are designed to bring professionals with similar roles in different organizations together. For five years, I was a chair for formal peer advisory groups for Chief Executives called Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
✔️You may want to form your own advisory or mastermind group. I meet regularly with a mastermind of three amazing speakers, also Certified
Speaking Professionals, 💡Janel Anderson, PhD, Hilary Blair, MFA, CEO, CSP and Marc A. Pitman, CSP. These smart speakers serve as both a sounding board and an accountability group.
✔️For a few months, I’ll participate with a Sage Circle assembled by Elaine Morris to develop our skills around positive intelligence.
The insights and ability to collaborate with people interested in growth will short cut your learning and help you avoid pitfalls. The accountability, feedback, and support are priceless.
❓How can you create your own cheerleading squad of people you trust and who believe in you?
Ask people you respect to breakfast, lunch or an after work get together. You will be surprised who will say yes. People want to connect if given opportunity. With the right people supporting your efforts, you can deal with just about anything.
Go Negotiate!
Thank you Cole Pfeiffer, CFA and Janus Henderson Investors for sponsoring GEMS that night.