谁能指点职场迷津？听这些人的没错

透视MPW是一个在线社区，美国商界内外的一些大咖会在这里及时分享与职场和领导力有关的问题。今天的问题是：如果需要职场建议，你会找谁咨询？回答者是云计算软件公司Xero美国区总裁克里·戈曼。

我在第一资本金融公司工作近十年时，一家SaaS（软件即服务）领域增长速度全球领先的公司抛来橄榄枝。工作机会非常好，但如果接受我就得离开热爱的公司和团队，五口之家还得搬到另一个国家。做这样的抉择谈何容易。

为此我征求了不少人意见，在我职业生涯的关键时刻也确实有很多人出谋划策。因为我对待事业像经营企业，组建了一个类似董事会的智囊团，在重大决策上寻求智囊协助。一开始我没打算组建智囊团，但随着时间慢慢推移我才发现身边的人已经能发挥智囊作用，他们在我的生活和事业上确实作用巨大。智囊团成员背景各异，跟我的交集也分属不同时间段。在我职业道路的各个时期，他们都曾给我提供有价值的建议，从换工作到与同事或者上司相处困境等等。

我在第一资本金融工作时曾主管小企业银行业务，当时跟团队负责一个大项目，需要巨额投资。我就去找智囊团咨询如何才能获得首席执行官和其他关键股东支持。他们帮助明确我需要哪些人才，应该先搞定哪些关键人物才能让首席执行官有信心支持我。我不确定对市场的解读是否能产生反响时，他们也提出了建议。

我的董事会里有以下几类人：

前上司

我发现跟之前的老板保持往来大有裨益。（睿智善良的）前上司看待你的方式跟其他很多人不同，他们真正了解你的长处，能看出哪些方面你有机会。由于你们曾经共事，前老板也最有可能直率评价你的成长情况。

我曾有过一个很棒的跳槽机会，当时真的想行动。所以咨询了一位前领导。他很坦诚，帮助我看清那个岗位并不能发挥我的长处。他详细解释了理由，事实证明他没看错。那个机会并不适合我，我才意识到很少有人如此了解我，深知我的在什么岗位能发挥出色。

业内人士

要是你考虑可能换个新东家，或者用新的市场策略，业内人士可以提供真知灼见。有可能他们并不了解你关注的某家公司或者某个领域，但也能找到真正了解的人。这类人脉其实非常重要，因为业内人士能站在局外人的角度看待你和你面临的竞争，提供的意见会很有价值。

另外，当出现行业大新闻或者监管风向变动的时候，充分利用业内人士的深刻见解也很重要，因为他们可以帮你分析形势会如何变化。

猎头

猎头都很擅长社交，对工作岗位和如何变得更职业能提供很好的建议。随着你资历越来越深，与猎头搞好关系就特别重要，因为他们可以帮你评估职业背景，告诉你和其他人才相比你有哪些不足。他们打的电话你应该积极接听。

我的一位智囊就是猎头，我和她成了好朋友。她曾经告诉我，深入了解我之前她觉得我作风太刻板。当她发现我除了西装革履还有另一面，才觉得能跟我打交道。她建议我，认识新朋友的时候尽量表现出有人情味的一面。听到这条建议我特别开心，因为别人很难这样指出我的问题。

同事

关系亲密的同事也能为你指点迷津，对可能出问题的地方或者盲点提供建议。进入职场不久带领第一个团队的时候没有相关经验，之前我一直是团队成员，只知道贡献自己的力量，所以管理上反响一般。当时我有个同事和一些团队成员有私交，所以委婉地提醒我形势不妙，需要调整管理风格和方式。后来我自费接受培训提高管理技能，还花时间与团队直接沟通，解决他们的担忧。多亏同事人脉广，对公司也足够了解，我才能在小问题酿成大错以前及时纠正，让事业走上正轨。

那么，你怎么才能组建自己的智囊团？首先要找你尊重和崇拜的人，主动和他们结交，日积月累培养关系，积极提供支持和掌握的资源作为回馈。你和智囊团的关系会更有意义，对各方产生积极的影响。（财富中文网）

译者：Pessy

审稿：夏林

The MPW Insiders Network is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for, “Who do you go to when you need career advice?” is written by Keri Gohman, president of Xero Americas.

After nearly a decade at Capital One (cof, -1.70%), I received a job offer that was impossible to ignore: a position at one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in the world. But it would require leaving an organization and a team I loved and moving my family of five cross-country—not an easy decision.

For advice, I turned to not just one person, but a handful of people who have helped me at pivotal moments in my career. As I’ve guided my career like a business, I’ve created a board of directors to support and direct my key decisions. I didn’t set out to create a board, but over time, I realized that’s what I had created—and that board has made a huge difference in my life and my career. Comprised of a handful of people from different backgrounds and parts of my life, they’ve all given me advice at various times in my career when I’ve really needed it, from job changes to difficult situations with co-workers or bosses.

When I was leading small business banking at Capital One, I was working with my team on a big project that was going to require significant investment. I leaned on my board for advice on how to gain organizational support with the CEO and other key stakeholders. They helped me figure out what kind of talent I would need, who to have in the room with me so the CEO could have confidence to back me up, and offered advice on whether I had interpreted the market in my proposition in a way that would resonate.

Here are the people I have on my board:

Former bosses

I have come to learn that keeping these relationships open can be hugely helpful. Former bosses (the good ones) know your strengths and opportunity areas in a way that many others don’t. Given your unique history, they are also often the folks most willing to be candid about your development.

I once had a big job opportunity that I really wanted crop up, so I sought advice from a former boss. He was honest with me, and helped me understand that the role didn’t play to my strengths. He shared the reasons why, and it turned out he was correct. It wasn’t the right opportunity, and I realized few others knew me well enough to understand where I’d shine.

Those in your industry

Your peers will be particularly insightful when it comes to seeking advice on a potential employer or a new market strategy. If they don’t have the insights you’re looking for on a particular company or space, they will know someone who does. These types of connections are really important, as it’s inherently valuable to be able to speak to people with an outsider’s view of you and your competition.

The ability to leverage the insight of an industry insider is also extremely valuable when big news or regulatory changes emerge, as they can give you their take on how things are shifting.

Recruiters

Recruiters are fabulous networkers and give amazing perspective on jobs and how you come across as a professional. Particularly as you get more senior, it’s important to cultivate relationships with recruiters because they can help evaluate your career background, see how you compare to other talent, and tell you what’s missing. You should always pick up the phone when they call.

For example, one of my board members is a recruiter, and has become a good friend. She once told me that before she got to know me, she thought I came across as too formal. But once she saw past my suit, she felt she was able to really connect with me. She advised me to try and let this more human part of my personality show earlier when meeting new people. I relished this advice knowing I might not have gotten it from anyone else.

Colleagues

Close colleagues can also help give you guidance on situations or blind spots before they become a problem. Early in my career when I was leading my first team, my management style wasn’t resonating because I hadn’t yet had experience in this area and was used to being an individual contributor. My colleague had relationships with some of my team members, and let me know, in a safe space, that things weren’t going well and I needed to adjust my style and approach. I made investments in my management skills through training and spending time addressing these concerns with my team directly. Thanks to my colleague’s connections and their knowledge of the organization, I was able to course correct before something minor became a larger problem.

So how do you create your own board? Find people you respect and admire, and reach out to them. Cultivate relationships with them, build rapport over time, and always be willing to offer your support and resources in return. You and your board will have a meaningful and positively impactful relationship.