How do you cultivate a positive and supportive network of mentors, peers, and allies?

To build and develop a supportive network with mentors, you will have to identify clearly your needs, your knowledge gap and current state. That will help you to position in a place to determine which mentor's goals and values aligns with your needs before you approach them. You can be specific at stating what you want in your networking and relationship.

Cultivar una red positiva y de apoyo ha sido clave en mi carrera. La autenticidad ha sido mi brújula, conectando con mentores que comparten valores similares y compañeros que han enriquecido mi trayectoria. La reciprocidad ha sido fundamental; aprender de mis mentores mientras también ofrezco mi experiencia a otros ha fortalecido esos lazos.

I was recently promoted and I realized my needs are entirely different from what they were three years ago. So, I need to update my tracker and seek out mentorship for the kind of career I want to have three years from now. When it comes to identifying the needs, the process needs to be iterative and you have to keep coming back to the drawing board time and again to refocus, readjust, and realign your needs with respect to where you are at present.

Here's what we need to keep in mind - our current bosses/team leads don't need to automatically become our mentors. The question we need to ask ourselves is whose footsteps I want to follow? what kind of a professional I want to become? what skillsets do I want to polish more and how will this mentor help me achieve my goals? If we don't ask ourselves this and assume, things are not going to work. Also, in some areas of my life, I consider my sister to be a mentor which is a classic case of reverse mentoring. This only goes on to show that there is no one size fits for all and you do you. If Ekalavya can consider a mere statue as his mentor and become the best archer in the world, what is stopping you?

Remember, first, don't assume that the potential mentor will do everything for you. You should first help yourself and do your best in what you can do. Then, with something in hand, discuss with the potential mentor and ask specifically how they can help you. Don't overwhelm them with a broad question; be specific and genuine.

My mantra is to take time and focus on quality rather than quantity. I need peers in my life with whom even spending a mere five minutes would inspire, recharge, and motivate me. And to find that kind of a person and share that kind of rapport, it takes time. It takes time to generate that level of trust and openness and so, I let time take its course. Happy to say that this mantra has wonderfully worked and connected me to some of the best peers I could ever have in my life.

The first step to finding an ally is to talk about your interests. I can't expect someone to come and tell me - hey I share your passion in learning design and I would like to share notes until and unless, I acknowledge my own interests and am vocal about it. I met one of my greatest allies who shares my passion for consulting and L&D when I picked up the phone and decided to call regarding an ongoing doubt I had in mind. Since then it has been five years and we are connected to each other based on our passion for all things L&D.

Going to places of interest can help you find allies. List down your interests and see what activities you can do to cherish your interests. Once you start doing these activities you can find like-minded people there.

Cultivating a positive and supportive network is crucial, but maintaining that network is equally important. Regular communication is key—reach out with updates, ask for advice, or share resources that might be helpful to them.

Support - that's the word. Showing relentless and unwavering support to your network is how you can maintain it for years to come. And showing support has never been this easy. You don't need to pick up the phone always. Sharing the link to the latest post they had written, or sending a congratulatory text on their milestones are the tiny little things that means volumes when it comes to showing support to your network. You can maintain your network by investing as little as twenty minutes of your time daily. My pro tip here is to add all the birthdays, milestones, and important days to your personal calendar so that you never miss out on wishing anybody. And if that's too much of hassle, send in a genuine compliment any day.