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Build Your
Own Board of Experts
The most successful entrepreneurs and
corporate giants rely on their advisory boards to help spot
new opportunities and potential pitfalls.
Now you
can have your own advisory board: a shadow board of
directors.
A shadow
board of directors is a low-tech technique for accessing the
expertise of others and increasing your confidence and
options. A shadow board can help you get a variety of
perspectives and access to information just like a regular
board. Shadow boards of directors can push you out of your
rut and help you find alternative solutions and expert
advice. The only difference between a regular board and a
shadow board is that shadow boards exist only in your own
imagination.
Your
shadow board is portable, light and easy to carry, so you
can have it with you all the time. It challenges you to
sharpen your thinking skills and to expand your perspective.
A shadow board of directors teaches you to consider the
views of others, whether you agree with them or not. It also
makes available experts who are living or dead, known to you
or strangers; talent you could never buy.
To build
your shadow board of directors, choose a variety of people
for their strengths and skills. Choose them for their
specific skills and talents, knowledge and gifts, no matter
what their limitations might be. You'll be tapping their
strengths, not their limitations.
Make sure
you have the people you need or could profit from, no matter
how outrageous anyone else might find them.
Use your
shadow board of directors to help you think through and make
tough decisions. You'll use them for input and advice. Some
of the members will change depending on the topics or the
questions, others will be your old standbys.
My
standard members include Einstein, just because he was so
smart. I can only hope to emulate his thinking process. Liz
Taylor is also on my list. She can be gorgeous no matter
what her size, is very loyal to her friends, is not afraid
to speak out on difficult or unpopular issues, and is one
classy lady. I just wish I had her violet eyes.
Marti
Burns is a composite character, a combination of two
cognitive therapists: David Burns, who wrote Feeling
Good: The New Mood Therapy, the best book on combating
depression I have read and recommended, and Martin Seligman,
a psychologist whose pioneering work includes
Learned
Optimism and What
You Can ChangeŠ and What You Can't. Together these
two men, in my embodiment of Marti Burns, help me deal with
my bouts of feeling bad, and help me confront myself when I
get into irrational thinking. I also check in with them when
I'm faced with clients who present difficult interpersonal
issues.
Jane
Johnson is another composite character, taken from two
friends and colleagues who are the best technical manager
and human resources manager I've been privileged to work
with. Their high ethical and moral stance, willingness to do
the hard work, and clarity in thought and action challenge
me to meet their level of expertise. I ask them how they
would handle the hard situations I face in corporate
consulting challenges. Then I listen.
For family
issues, I look to Fitzhugh Gottman, another composite
character. He is a combination of Fitzhugh Dodson, who's my
favorite child rearing expert and John Gottman, known for
his solid, experience based work with couples and
relationships. No sound bites or stereotypes for these two.
They know what works for kids and couples.
The list
could go on, but you get the picture. These are people I
have known personally, or through their work, or in my image
of them. I match their expertise to the challenges I face.
If my
question involves critical thinking and creativity, Einstein
is always the chairman of the board. But I don't even think
to include him for grooming or social questions. Liz gets
the honors here. A quick conversation in my head with her,
and I know how to solve the problem with dispatch, class,
and grace. I don't think I'd use her for my marriage
consultant, though. Wedding consultant, yes; marriage
consultant, never.
A shadow
board of directors complements the real experts you know and
rely on. They can get you started with your own research, in
your local library, browsing bookstores, and searching the
Internet. By going step by step, asking good questions, and
thinking through the answers, you'll get closer to the
information you need to help you face your
challenges.
Start
building your own Shadow Board today.
________
760 Words
Patricia Wiklund Ph.D., author, consultant, and coach works with 1Person Business owners who want to grow their businesses by getting and staying focused, maximizing their sales and marketing efforts, and delivering premier services to their target markets. Information on her coaching services and on-line product catalogue can be found at www.1PersonBusiness.com.
An
electronic version of this article is available if you wish
to reprint or repost it. Please contact Dr. Pat Wiklund for
permission to reprint, and to see if there is a royalty
required for reprint. If permission is granted, we request a
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