People Who KNOW Me

I spent this weekend with some great friends - people who know me.  I think this is an understated concept, and since I have spent much of the last 4 weeks in meetings with purely new people, I think I know what I'm talking about.


How good does it feel to have someone truly be your ally?  By ally, I'm talking about someone who will back you up and support your decisions even when you show a little bit of your crazy side.  I think credibility is underrated.  It's rated, just not high enough on the overall scale of importance.  Credibility is what gets us through the tough times, because the people around us are able to carry on when we're lacking.  Some days we're on our game, but when we're not, we rely on our allies, the people to whom we are credible, we have value.  Tonight in class, the CIO of a Fortune 100 company spoke.  She talked about how she wouldn't have succeeded without the people around her - reinforced that it's who you know, not what you know.  At Target we call it Board of Directors - people we rely on for various parts of our lives.  Some people are mentors, others are social advisors, others are coaches, partners, supporters, and friends.


Who are these people in your world?  When I think of mine, I can't help but smile.  There is a book I received from one of my people right before my wedding.  It's called Vital Friends.  These are the people who get us through life.  They not only pick us up during the bad times, but they also accelerate our success.  The book splits Vital Friends into categories, like Champion, Collaborator, Companion, Mind Opener, and Energizer.  They fulfill needs in our lives that we cannot fulfill alone.  


In my new role, I'm finding myself a bit lost without the people who know me.  But I realize that takes time.  It always does.  Lasting relationships aren't formed overnight.  For now I'm plugging along (happily!) and focusing on how my new relationships are formed, and how my vital, lasting relationships can pick me up during hard times and elevate my success.  I'd have to say, it's going alright.