Professional development series

This is Laura Lee Rose, Corporate Exit Strategist for the blooming entrepreneur, and I am a business and life coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. This is a segment from my Corporate Exit Strategy Leadership series

I’m driving back from a lovely weekend with a close friend. My friend’s son is twenty-one and living in her home rent-free. While I was there, my friend’s son had a series of good friends drop in throughout the weekend. Some spent the night and others had full access to the refrigerator, video games, etc. While my friend was happy that her son was safe, happy and had good friends, she was disappointed that he had quit his fast-food job. And he didn’t seem to be seriously looking for another position. He was taking some college classes but was currently taking a break. When his mom nags, he makes minimum motion toward filling out a job application at game/video retail shops. But it doesn’t seem to be self-initiated.

I certainly understood her frustration, so I asked, “He seems very popular. His friends seem very much at home here. Tell me more about them. Where do they live? What are they studying? Are they students in college? Do they have jobs? What are they passionate about?”

She shook her head and said, “Oh, they are very nice. They have known each other from high school. Matt shares an apartment with his brother. He doesn’t have a job. Joe lives with his grandmother. I don’t think he works. And Chris lives with his parents; he doesn’t go to school or work either…. “

I think you see where this story is going. In my opinion, her son may do better with different friends. If his friends were working toward a degree and/or paying living-expenses, he would probably follow suit.

So, why is Laura telling us this story? What does this mean to us?

We typically associate with folks of the same socio-economic circles. So, if you want to jump to a different salary or professional level, we may need to change who we hang around with. If you want to leap to the next professional rung, we may want to find ways to network with people of that next desired level. In other words, surround ourselves with the success we want to achieve.

In this example: My friend’s son had a nice circle of friends. But they aren’t the dream circle of friends. Those particular friends will not open doors to new, prosperous, or challenging activities. Those particular friends will not be a gateway to promotions, high incomes, business referrals, sale leads, or entrepreneurial opportunities toward a successful, prosperous, and challenging new career.

This lesson is just as critical in business. For example:

• If my goal is to be promoted and considered the MVP on the next high-profile, next generation project, then coding alone and isolated in the back office may not get me there.
• If my goal is to continue to grow and obtain salary increases and promotions independent of the current economy, just being considered good in my current one area may not be enough. High level positions require the well-balanced, total package.
• If my idyllic clients are people with incomes of $200,000/year, then advertizing or searching in craigslist’s is not going to reach my market.
• If my target niche are corporate executives that are playing with the idea taking the next step into entrepreneurship, then providing resume development and career coaching to high-school and college students individuals is not the right circle.

Okay – so how do we get there?
Visualize your dream position, projects, salary, clients, co-workers and business partners. Now pretend you are already in that position. Imagine you are those individuals. How do you spend your day? Where do you go to relax? What type of fund-raising or community service activities do you (as your ideal client, co-worker or business partner) participate? What type of sports, hobbies, and leisure activities do you enjoy? What groups to you join? What types of meetings do you lead? How to you hold yourself? How do you project yourself? If you were in that dream position, what and who would you be working and playing with? Those are the people you need to start networking with.

If you are interested in more detail professional networking coaching or a professional coach to help you stay on target with those goals, please consider one-on-one coaching sessions to propel you forward faster.