Читать книгу Reinventing You - Dorie Clark - Страница 14

In addition to (or instead of) one-on-one conversations, another possibility is hosting a small group gathering. This only works if your network is geographically proximate, but the benefit is that you can leverage the wisdom of crowds when one person’s idea sparks another. But instead of a Madison Avenue ad agency testing a new soda campaign or Procter & Gamble probing which scent is more “shower fresh,” this is a focus group where the focus is you. Here’s the setup.

Identify a group of about fifteen trusted friends and colleagues (eight to ten is the ideal number of attendees, and you know several won’t be able to make it, and a few others will back out the day of the gathering). Tell them that you’d like to interview them about your brand and that you’re conducting a focus group to get honest feedback because you want to grow professionally. (If you have another friend who’s also interested in reinventing herself, you can suggest swapping the host duties for the focus group. You can take charge of inviting her friends and colleagues, and vice versa. That may help if you’re shy; after all, it’s often easier to do things for someone else, rather than yourself.)

But what if you don’t have a friend you can turn to? The idea of arranging a focus group—where you’re the subject of discussion—can seem hopelessly intimidating. What if your friends and colleagues consider it an imposition? (If they don’t want to do it, don’t worry; they’ll find an excuse to beg off.) And is it really such a good idea to invite a large group of people to get together and point out your weaknesses? What if you discover that someone you respect has a negative perception of you—that you’re irresponsible or unfocused, or a bad manager?

The prospect of facing a harsh truth can be daunting. But remember: your friends and colleagues wouldn’t bother to participate if they didn’t care about you and value you. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and your posse is coming together because they want to help you become as successful as possible. Indeed, regardless of whether you hold a focus group, these are likely the people you’re going to need to rely on in your personal reinvention. Why not involve them in the process now and get their support? They’re your best hope of honest feedback about your strengths and weaknesses, how you’re currently perceived, and other intelligence that can save you time and energy in identifying your path forward. Even more importantly, they’re your allies—the ones you’ll turn to for mentoring, feedback, and (eventually) new business and referrals. It may seem like an imposition to reach out, but the truth is, it takes a village to reinvent yourself.