HOW YOU USE YOUR NETWORK TO BECOME A BETTER YOU

During a Q&A session after I had spoken at an event, someone asked "Who do I bring into my inner cycle
as part of a support system to help me in achieving my goals?"
I had just spoken on the topic "Connecting your career dots from local to global" during which I
highlighted the 9 pillars necessary for this.
One of them was building a support system. This question was a testament to one thing - no matter how
simple you make a process, people will often remember the difficult part of it.
How do I know this?
The support system aka the 3Degrees of SupportTM, has 3 essential components - your accountability
friends, masterminds (paid and unpaid) and mentors/coaches.
The questioner decided to focus on how hard it is to get friends who will buy into your goals and
aspirations to provide you with the support you need.
It is hard if you are trying to build your own Mount Rushmore but a lot easier if all you want to do is just
sculpt your personal Madonna della Pietà for an audience of 1 - namely you.
Let me share how I helped the person sculpt a personal Madonna della Pietà.
First things first, start with the easiest support system that aligns with your current life requirements. For
example, if you have the funds, get a coach/mentor or pay to be part of a mastermind. If funds are an
issue, create a free mastermind of value friends.
From these environments, you can find accountability friends. Accountability friends are friends you
share similar values with and you give them the power to question your choices and decisions. Overall,
you share a common commitment to each other’s success in life and at work.
Next up I gave a simple plan of how to set up a free mastermind of value friends.
Why?
Because a free mastermind of value friends is something everyone should have. There is nothing like
being in a group of people with whom you share a history and working towards a mutually beneficial
future.
Value friends are people that you have actively engaged with and done things together in the past so that
you know each other well. It’s either you worked directly together or collaborated closely in non-work
related environments in the past, creating mutual benefit and value, which formed a meaningful bond.
From the definition, you already have a list of people in your head. Let me show you how you can bring
them together into a mastermind
1. Decide which life area you would like the mastermind to focus on - these can include career,
family, personal development, health, etc. It’s your group so you decide that.
2. Identify 6-8 value friends that you think would be able to have good conversations that support
each other's growth and development in these areas.
 3. Craft an invitation message that communicates your intention for the group to everyone. I
recommend that you also include a renewal period of 6 months for the group. This ensures that
people don’t back out because they think it is a “forever commitment”. It should also include
meeting frequency, time duration and location - try to aim for once a month, 60-75 minutes and
virtual if possible. It minimizes the perception of interruption that they would feel this will cause
to their busy lives.
4. Craft a list of agreements that you expect everyone to sign up to once they agree to join the
group. An agreement defines the expectations that everyone should have of the group and
themselves when they join. This saves anyone from having expectations that the group is not set
up to meet.
5. Aim for a group size of not less than 6 and not more than 7 or 8 if you decide to push the space-
time continuum. Why? This size ensures everyone gets to speak and allows people to process
their thoughts before they have to speak.
I must point out that the renewal period of 6 months is not just for the group members - it is also for you.
If after the first 6 months, you discover that the group is not gelling well and you need to end it, simply,
END IT.
You already told them it will be up for renewal so it frees you from feeling bad that you are stopping a
bad thing.
The renewal period requirement is also helpful once the group is running. An individual might feel he
doesn’t want to be part of the group due to a change in life seasons or any other millions of reasons he
may find under the hillbilly tree. Or it could be a she.
No fear, at the next renewal, indicate “No” on the renewal request and it’s “So long, farewell, Auf
Wiedersehen, good night.”
Easy peasy lemon squeezy
Having a support system that carries you through the many seasons that you have to go through is
something we all need.
Creating a structure ensures the consistency of such relationships.
Here is to you winning at work and in life.