Building
a Support Team
Regardless of our best
efforts to maintain a perspective on life and remain calm in a frantic
world, there are days when we feel smothered by to-do lists and overwhelmed
with the need for decisions. A support team can help us to stay on
track and prevent isolation.
Personal Support Team
A personal support team
is a small group of close friends, who accept us for who we are, are
willing to cheer for us when we win a race, and will comfort us when
we lose. Members of a support team are good listeners. They will help
us keep our perspective, maintain our balance and be focused on holistic
life goals.
While it seems obvious
that we all need friends in a support team, many busy women see time
with these special friends as a luxury. They do not make the time
to build and maintain these important relationships. They may also
assume that people that they like are part of their support team.
Not true. A personal support team, even if it is one or two people,
must offer the type of support that is truly helpful. For example,
if you have a friend who is over-critical or who acts friendly to
your face but complains behind your back, this person is not an effective
support person. Cultivate those relationships which can challenge
you fairly as well as support you in assessing your decisions and
life balance.
Look for personal support
relationships that:
Remember, good relationships
are a give and take. Be a positive support to others within your circle.
Professional Support
Team
While the characteristics
of healthy relationships are similar, whether they are professional
or personal, there are some special traits of a professional support
team.
Professional support relationships
can provide mentoring and help to guide professional decisions. Your
team must have an understanding of the business environment and the
expectations and stresses involved.
Both business and personal
support teams can provide insights and ward off isolation., a vital
resource for businesswomen who must balance responsibilities and priorities.
Having people you can count on, who share similar concerns and understand
the issues you face, is a valuable asset to your career and your sense
of well-being.
Support Team Tips:
1. Identify people, both
professionally and personally, who share values, interests and similar
circumstances with you.
2. Make time, at least
once per month, to meet members of your support team. Casual discussions,
which allow for all parties to share successes, concerns, stressors
and strategies, will be most beneficial.
3. Make your time with
these valuable people fun and fulfilling for each of you.
4. Be open and honest about
your thoughts, concerns and ideas.
5. Be trustworthy. Do not
break confidentiality with others in your support team.
6. Seek solutions. Don't
just complain to your support team. Use their insights to help you
sort through issues and find ways you can act.
Finally, as women we often
have difficulty letting go of relationships that are unhealthy. The
relationships with positive support are those that give us energy
and encouragement and help us to clarify our direction and action.
If someone in your support system leaves you continually frustrated
or angry or causes you to lose self-esteem, end it. With the multiple
priorities we have, investing in a relationship which drags you down
may not be a wise use of time or energy.
Next Chapter...
