5 “must-have” people in your team

I read an article recently about 5 types of people business owners should surround themselves with.  That got me thinking – What’s the equivalent when we think about our lives ?  Who should we surround ourselves with in our lives – the trusted advisors and confidantes who we turn to when needed to support us, challenge us, inspire us, or when necessary; kick our butts and tell us to just get on with it !

The article which appeared in Women’s Agenda listed 1) The Devil’s Advocate, 2) The Cheerleader, 3) The Mentor, 4) The Connector and 5) The Enabler as the 5 types business owners should have on their team.

Here’s my take on who I think we should have on “Team MY LIFE” –

1.  Your Devil’s Advocate – I’m not talking about the naysayers and folks who criticise your ideas for the sake of ‘adding value’.  This is the person who is not afraid to give you honest feedback, both good and bad; and is the person (or persons) you can rely on as an objective sounding board.  Importantly, she (or he) can also see through your bull#@*% and when needed, doesn’t hold her punches and has no qualms whatsoever in giving you a swift, hard kick up your (you know where) when we are stuck in a rut.

2.  Your Personal Cheerleader – this is the person who continues to have faith in you when you have lost faith in yourself.  The person who, after a horrendous day where everything that CAN go wrong HAS gone wrong; reminds you of all the things you have accomplished and of the potential they see in you; that you may have forgotten (temporarily) about yourself.

3.  Your Mentor – all of us would benefit from having a mentor, whether in business or in life.  This is your trusted advisor.  Someone you respect, who ideally has travelled the path that you are on now.  Someone who has faced and successfully overcome the challenges you are dealing with; and can therefore offer guidance and support as needed.

4.  Your Spirit Guide – I think of this person as your inspirational or spiritual mentor.  Similar to your mentor, this is someone you trust and respect.  In addition, she (or he) is someone you share similar values with.  This person knows the ‘real’ you and can support and challenge you to remain authentic to who you really are and what is most important to you.

5.  Your Safety Net – this is your life saver.  The person you can depend on to pick up the slack when things go pear-shaped.  It might be your spouse, your mum (or mum-in-law), friend, trusted next door neighbour, whoever ….. the person you trust to pick up your kids from school when the meeting that was supposed to end on time ran one hour late; or the one who volunteers (without you asking) to handle dinner tonight after you’ve realised you forgot to defrost the chicken.  The one who knows that despite your super-human skills at juggling multiple things, that eventually; something will drop …… and that’s ok !

I’m grateful to have people in my life who fill these roles; and in a way, this is a tribute to each of them.

Who do you rely on most in your “Team MY LIFE” ??