Why You Need A Professional Support Team.
More than ever, we need to be creating our very own professional support team.
With job descriptions asking more of us, days being fuller, aspirations getting bigger, and for some, COVID-19 requiring us to work without our team by our side, we could all use a helping hand (or three!)
I want to take this opportunity to ask you …
Are you calling on the support of others?
Or, are you doing it all alone?
As fiercely independent and successful women, we’ve prided ourselves on how much we can do and what we can achieve on our own.
But just because we can do things on our own, doesn’t mean we have to, or should.
In fact, working with and being supported by others lightens the load, allows us to shine in our zone of genius, progresses us further AND makes work feel more enjoyable!
If you identify as being a woman who tends to ‘fly solo’, I want to offer you three ways you can begin to create your professional support team, and get the helping hand you deserve, today.
Quit being a lone ranger.
If you were to take a guess, how many times a week do you fall into the trap of doing it yourself rather than delegating the task or asking for support?
Do you chair every meeting?
Are you the first to put your hand up to say yes?
Do you respond to emails that someone else could?
Do you hold the entire load of projects on your shoulders?
If you’re sitting there nodding your head, know that you’re not alone!
BUT, I want you to begin to notice when you’re trying to do everything on your own – because self awareness is the first step towards change!
While I have no doubt that you’re doing a great job, you don’t have to be a lone ranger.
Women are notoriously bad at asking for help – and on the flipside of this, notoriously good at doing a great job at doing it all.
But working this way isn’t sustainable, and it doesn’t get you seen as a highly competent leader.
Consider:
Why do I choose to work as a lone ranger?
How is this harming me, my career and the development of my team?
Share the load and ask for help
In order to progress our careers, we have to share the load and ask for help.
You cannot have one without the other – not in the long run anyway!
Asking for support doesn’t make you incompetent or incapable. In fact it’s the complete opposite – asking for support is the sign of a great leader!
There’s two very important points I want to make here:
- Sometimes as women we OVER FUNCTION which allows everyone around us to UNDER FUNCTION. This isn’t fair to you, or to them! We teach people how to treat us, what to expect of us, and what we expect of them. What message are you sending?
- A key point of sharing the load and asking for help is accepting that others may not do things how you would – and this is okay! Different does NOT equal bad!
Want to dive more deeply into this topic of sharing the load?
I wrote this article for you here!
Consider:
What tasks and responsibilities am I doing that someone else could?
Who else in my team could lend a hand?
How is my tendency to do it all, a disservice to myself and others?
Know that you are worthy
The issue of worthiness comes up with many of the women I work with.
Feeling unworthy leads to them overworking, trying to do it all and being perfectionists.
I want to remind you that you ARE worthy. Simply by being yourself, you are intrinsically worthy.
You are worthy of recognition.
You are worthy of investing in yourself.
And most of all – you are worthy of having the very best support team around you!
Women who feel worthy aren’t afraid to ask to have their needs met and put their hand up for help.
Whether it’s a cleaner to keep the house in order, a personal trainer to keep their body in shape, a mentor to stretch their thinking or a team of A players to carry the load – their support team is essential to their professional growth, success and sanity.
They’re happier and healthier for it, and more successful because of it.
Consider:
Do you feel worthy of being fully supported?
What type of support would be most beneficial right now to assist you to achieve your professional goals?
I want to hear from you!
Please pop on over to our free Facebook Group for mid career professional women, share your experience and join in the conversation!
Let us be a powerful element of your professional support team!
See you in the group!
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