A friend of mine works at a large media company. She moved to a new company several years ago and was laid off. She ended up returning to the first company on the rebound. The company started treating her like a vengeful lover, mad over the rejection. (Like when you return to a relationship you know shouldn't. )They made her prove how wrong she was for leaving (paying her less money and giving her the worst hours). But even more than this, they seemed devalue the important contribution that she makes on a daily basis. So she's frustrated and is planning her getaway again by developing a career more in line with her life's love -- art. To move in that direction, she joined a professional group related to her new interests. The group mentioned her in a newsletter, and lo and behold, people were offering to purchase her professional art services. So my friend was surprised and unprepared for the response. What did she do? Nothing. I reminded her that she could have called me -- a member of her "personal board of advisers" so she could have reasoned out how to handle the possibilities.
I've talked to a number of people who have such a personal "board," usually a group of friends who have a variety of professional experiences and who can help decipher all the workplace "astrological signs" over drinks or dinner or in hushed emergency phone calls from work on the cell phone. We ended up talking about her options and how she could salvage some of the solicitations and better prepare for a successful career relaunch.
Anybody else have a "personal board?" Let me know how yours works.
1. May be due to their dislike.
Anton at 2:26AM on Mar 27th 2007