One thing is certain, we all face challenges in our roles. Some people are lucky enough to have a friend to turn to, sometimes it could be someone in the same business as you, other times a good friend that just happens to be in the same line of work, share your interests and understand your situation well enough to be able to offer an interesting opinion and perspective.
Too many times though you run up against problems and challenges that none of your current friends can really relate with or understand, maybe it’s time to make some new friends.
We have recently introduced a new way within the London CTOs to meet people just like you, people you can turn to for help, advice or just to share a coffee with.
I personally can look back at my life and see a number of people who have had a huge impact on my life and career. Especially at times where I’ve faced unforeseen and new challenges.
Infact I can still remember specific conversations with some people at times of personal crisis that literally were exactly what I needed at the time to lift me up and help me see a way through difficult times.
Think back to times recently, maybe last week or last month, think about some of the trickiest challenges that you faced. Did you have exactly the right person on hand to turn to?
Now consider if you had a close friend who just happened to have studied in that exact area, maybe written a book in that subject or somebody that was just so damn passionate about those kind of problems that they would talk to anyone about it. Maybe someone else who faced this exact problem the month before and after weeks of reading and studying found a solution and was particularly pleased with themselves for how they resolved it. They’d be only too happy to discuss this with you.
For me personally I’m a career geek. I love talking to people about their careers, I love learning about the choices people have made and how it’s impacted their careers. I’ve helped a lot of my friends with CV and interview advice, how to get into that company that they’ve dreamed of, how to negotiate pay rises and how to navigate other complicated situations that people find complex in their careers.
I recall when I first got into management and used to call a friend of mine 2-3 times a day for advice on how to handle specific situations. I don’t think I’d ever have grown a team were it not for how simple he made it all sound.
So maybe it’s time to find a new friend? Maybe it’s time to find someone you can brainstorm with and turn to, for help thinking things through. Maybe it’s time to find a new thought partner?
We have recently introduced a new thought partner introduction service within the London CTOs. The idea behind this is for CTOs to find people that they can brainstorm with. People that they can build a relationship with and turn to in times of need.
The idea is that no matter what your challenge, there are others that will be happy to talk through the situation with you.
Maybe you have just started as a CTO in your first start-up and are finding the whole situation overwhelming, getting lost in challenges with your leadership team and every next step seems overwhelming…
Or perhaps you’re an experienced CTO considering some of the challenges around nearshoring or outsourcing and trying to figure out which direction to take things…
Maybe you’re six months out from huge growth plans and trying to make sure the company and team is structured correctly to give you the best chance of success…
Or perhaps your planning an exit and you want to speak to CTOs who have recently been through an exit and can help you understand what to expect…
Maybe you’re thinking about looking for a new role, thinking about what to do with your CV or what you should have on your Linkedin profile and would like to connect with other CTOs that have recently found a new role, can tell you what the market was like, what the interview processes were like and just give you an idea.
No matter what stage you are currently in, if you’re facing challenges and feel like you could, do with meeting some other people with whom you could grab a coffee, a beer, a lunch, a meal, or a round of golf with now you can do that completely free of charge using the meet a thought partner service.
All you need to do is sign up, let us know the kind of person you’d like to meet and we’ll show you some options of people we could introduce you to.
Barry Cranford
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