https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2024/05/building-a-personal-board-of-directors-in-an-era-of-nomadic-careers/
BUILDING A PERSONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN AN ERA OF NOMADIC CAREERS
A framework
to supercharge your career
Noah Askin, University of California—Irvine
Cor Dubois, Board Companions
Noah
Askin teaches courses on management and leadership topics to undergraduate,
MBA, and executive audiences at The Paul Merage School of Business at the
University of California—Irvine. His research and teaching focus on creativity,
social networks, and the critical role of relationship building in professional
life.
Cor
Dubois is the President and Founder of Board Companions, a social enterprise in
the Netherlands. He was formerly a Senior Executive at Nokia-Alcatel-Lucent,
the President of BMG Classics, the President of Rothschild Inc Americas, and
the Head of Europe for Market Bridge. He guest lectures at INSEAD and HEC
Paris.
Critical
professional decisions are often kept close to the vest, particularly once
people are further along in their career. A book on career transitions, a
webinar offered by someone who has discovered her purpose, and a brief bit of self-reflection
seems to suffice for many as a means of making what is nearly always a
significant life decision. Others’ perspectives and feedback are rarely sought,
and if they are, it is not often done in a systematic way.
With
nearly half the workforce in many industries looking for new jobs—often due to
lack of advancement opportunities—the isolated decision making seems short-sighted.
Layer on newly developed preferences around remote work, considerations for dual
career couples, and concerns
about preparedness for the role of AI in the workplace, and it is clear that
people are in more need of career advice and support than ever.
While
individual mentors are great, a Personal Board of Directors (PBOD) offers a
broader, more balanced, strategic, and structured approach to help respond to major
professional questions and the different network-related concerns that arise
across a career.
With
increasing physical and psychological disconnections between people and their
work, our experience—following the lead of others—suggests tremendous benefit from the creation of a
diverse group of 4-7 “board members.” These are invested but largely
disinterested mentors, advisors, and other sounding boards who will remain
relatively constant across the twists and turns of your career. A PBOD should
be comprised of people who are familiar with you from different life stages and
career circumstances, including former or current colleagues, bosses, mentors,
coaches, peers, advisors, classmates, and professors. But at which career stage
should you build one, and whom to choose?
When
To Build Your Personal Board
In
surveys and workshops, we have observed that even when people are generally
happy with their careers, many remain eager to move on professionally. Regardless
of where you are along your career path, there is likely a steady stream of
serious questions and complex situations that can be well-served by engaging
with a PBOD.
Each
phase of your career presents different challenges and considerations. In the
figure below, we have broken them down into rough age ranges based on the kinds
of questions people are typically pondering during each phase. Note the box
covering late-20s through mid-50s, which is the range in which a PBOD can be
most beneficial, though its utility extends through your whole career.
In
the exploratory/establishment stage, the the most common theme of career
questions is “help me navigate.” The average 28-year old does this alone or
with friends. In the mid-career stage, the burning need is to “help me to
perform.” Here, when people don’t try to solve this on their own, we typically
see informal guidance sought from peers, company leaders, or some kind of
management training. Finally, in the mid-to-late career stage, the main concern
is a desire “help me transition.” Here support is mainly given by experts, singular
mentors, and thoughtleaders.
In
each phase, we have seen people benefit greatly from a more structured approach
to figuring out what they want to do, or who they want to be (next). The key is
understanding what kinds of questions to ask given the career stage, and what
kind of feedback will be most beneficial. A more structured and thoughtful
approach is likely to generate better options and yield better decisions.
How
to Approach Building Your Personal Board
A structured
approach can help identify the right people and roles to include on your board.
That is why we developed a PBOD framework anchored in three pillars: Purpose,
Network, and Strategy.
First,
like most relationships, building your PBOD begins with you—but it does not
stop there. A rough understanding of who you are, your strengths, and your
purpose, will make building and engaging with your Board more beneficial. This
is the Purpose pillar, and while many conduct this mental exercise, the
difficulty is bringing it to others for stress testing and feedback. In
particular, it helps identify whom you should include on your board, in
addition to providing a starting place for your discussions with them.
Second,
it is well established that your network is your most important asset. However,
many often struggle to identify the key players in their network, and how they
might engage them in mutually beneficial ways. Moreover, research has long
shown that weak ties—our acquaintances and friends of friends—are much more
likely to be helpful in providing information about job opportunities. They
also view us differently from close friends and family members, enabling us to
more easily reinvent ourselves. So, while optimizing your network is essential,
expanding it is even more so. Giving careful thought to both your current
network and its shortcomings is the second pillar for considering the
composition of a PBOD.
Lastly,
a structured, strategic approach—rather than simply latching onto the
individuals who are most willing to give you some of their time—will generate
better outcomes for the CEO (that’s you). By strategic, we mean thinking
through the different pieces of yourself, your career, and your aspirations to
collect a group of people who will help with your development across all facets
of your identity.
Below,
we describe some of the profiles of the kinds of people to include on a PBOD. By
considering your Purpose, your Network needs, and the Strategic approach you
want to take, then weighing that against the profiles, your Board becomes an assembly
of individuals chosen based on thoughtful reflection about your current
situation and where you would like to go next.
The
composition of your PBOD
Your
Board should provide you with candid, open, and honest feedback as you navigate
your personal and professional journey. Each of the 4-7 members play a specific
role that, when combined with the other roles, creates a well-balanced team. We
have found the most helpful Boards possess some combination of the following
profiles:
· Challengers:
Critical observers, insiders who can break your bias, and those who have no
problem asking the difficult questions. Challengers see possibilities to push
harder.
· Supporters: Confidants
who have experienced you in action over at least 3-5 years, like your attitude
and approach, and understand your strengths. Supporters intuitively know when you
need a confidence boost.
· Experts: The
gurus. People with deep, recognized expertise in an industry, a country, or
even a profession. Experts understand cultural considerations and are able to
provide you with critical do’s and don’ts. They are particularly relevant if
you aim to make a career switch.
· Marketing & Communications: Your personal PR experts, they support you in differentiating,
condensing your experience into a strong value proposition, and guiding you to articulate
your personal brand through compelling storytelling.
· Connectors: Often
senior executives, Connectors have a solid network, are known in various
circles, and possess strong reputations. They provide access outside of your
core social network, can help to identify target prospects, share insights, and
can provide introductions.
While
your needs will change depending on current challenges and aspirations, there
is no substitute for genuine trust and deep personal knowledge. Limiting
turnover, while acknowledging that membership is not set in stone, is
beneficial for the Board members and for you. If you maintain regular
pacing—regardless of whether you are formally convening your PBOD quarterly or connecting
individually when the need arises—it will surely reap rewards.
As
one aspiring executive we spoke with noted, “people are much more willing to
help and give advice than I anticipated.”
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