Buddy up with someone outside of your organisation

We have talked about mentoring and finding a buddy in the workplace. However, you might want to add another person to your list of people to take advice from (or go to for advice). A buddy that you trust and can talk to about things but who is not within your company or organisation. They don’t even have to be in the same job or on the same career path. Sometimes an outsider looking in can cut through the bulls**t and /or unnecessary stresses and tell you like it is.

It should be a two-way relationship, much like a mentoring relationship. It can work even better if you can support them in the way they are supporting you. A relationship built on trust. You may already have someone in your network that performs this role. If so, this is great,. However, you might also want to ponder whether they are the best person for this role and whether you are supporting them back.

If you do not have this type of relationship already with anyone start small by building trust and developing a relationship with a suitable individual. Once you get comfortable enough to open up and showing your vulnerable side on occasion, this might encourage them to do the same and strengthen the connection.

Then you can continue to build on this relationship in this way and offer support back. Often, you can find this person in your network.