This month’s Professional Development webinar was on the topic of Networking, Mentors and Sponsors.
Get the webinar
Members of my professional development program can download this webinar for free.
The most successful people have the most people helping them!
This is a very useful webinar to download if you want to:
- Find a comfortable way to network even if you are an introvert
- Grow a truly supportive network in a non-political way
- Find and secure the right mentors
- Develop true advocates for your career
- Increase your ability to develop highly engaged sponsors of your work
Here is what we talked about:
Recognize the types of help that are available
Many people in their careers are never told that is help available, and they should seek it out.
Instead they get their job description and try to do their best on their own.
I didn’t know this at first in my career either.
When I first discovered that this was this thing called “a mentor” I was surprised. Now I can’t imagine my career without them.
When I first figured out that it was vitally important not to be the only one who cared about my work and career, but to make sure I had sponsors, that’s when I started getting real breakthroughs.
Do this for yourself
Don’t wait for your company or your manager to assign mentors and sponsors to you. And don’t wait to be asked to do it or given permission. Just do it.
In the webinar we talked about the different levels of Network:
- Your General Network: People who make up your extra team of support in general
- Mentors and Career Advocates/Sponsors: People who help you get smarter, and a few who truly sponsor you
- Work Sponsors: People who have your back on big projects so that you are not the only one who cares
Avoid major career risk
If you don’t have people in each of these categories, you are missing a huge opportunity to learn, to be most effective in your work, and to advance — and you are also putting your career at risk unnecessarily.
I shared how to think about each of these types of people and networking efforts — and how to do it. I explained the difference between informal mentors, secret mentors, formal mentors and sponsors and outlined a very simple way to ask someone to be your mentor.
Authentic Networking
If you are not comfortable with the idea of networking in general, don’t worry, most people aren’t!
You can still build a very strong, positive network in a way that feels authentic, not shallow, not annoying — and that is do-able for introverts.
I referenced a prior webinar Authentic Networking, which explains in a very practical way how to accomplish this. I highly recommend it if you need some help getting started.
Help yourself
As we start the new year, it’s a great time to set your focus on adding another mentor to your life and assessing the level of sponsorship you need and have for your work.
This is a great webinar to get you thinking about your plan and your strategy to get a real boost in your success, your confidence and your satisfaction with work. Get help!
Get the Webinar…and More!
To learn the specific ideas and techniques that we talked about, download the webinar: Networking, Mentors and Sponsors, now.
Members: Download the webinar for free.
Non Members: You can purchase this individual webinar or podcast (links below).
There are some other really useful webinars in the Member Library related to this topic.
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Let me be your mentor
Members of the Azzarello Group program for Professional Development basically get me as their mentor.
Every month you get new insights and tools in the form of these webinars, as well as the chance to call into a monthly members-only coaching hour where you can get direct personal coaching from me.
People tell me that membership gives them a totally new way of thinking about their career, getting promotions, solving difficult problems with bosses, peers, employees, and other annoying people, communicating better, being more influential, becoming a stronger leader, and enjoying their work more. I love to hear this, and I love to help!
If you join now, you’ll not only get this webinar, but all the other webinars in the Member Library.
AND you’ll get the opportunity to participate in monthly Coaching Hour conference calls with me.
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About Patty
Patty Azzarello is an executive, best-selling author, speaker and CEO/Business Advisor. She became the youngest general manager at HP at the age of 33, ran a billion dollar software business at 35 and became a CEO for the first time at 38 (all without turning into a self-centered, miserable jerk)
You can find Patty at www.AzzarelloGroup.com, follow her on twitter or facebook
