Entrepreneur Magazine: 4 People I need in my life...

Now is the time of year when we are all looking ahead with hopeful and determined eyes... These articles are likely telling you the same thing: Make the goal actionable and achievable. Give yourself a deadline. Reverse engineer the steps it will take to get there.



Article in Entrepreneur Magazine

That's solid advice.  You’ll read a lot about the when and how of setting your goals. But don’t forget the who. Arguably, very few goals are accomplished by you and you alone. No person is an island, as the saying goes.

On your journey to success, there are four different types of people you will need.

1. The mentor

A mentor is someone who has been there, done that and got the T-shirt. He or she is someone you can turn to, ask questions and get advice. If you want to grow your business, align yourself with someone who has succeeded with a similar business model. If you want to lose weight, you could get a personal trainer or you could reach out to a friend who has already succeeded in his or her weight loss journey.

2. The mark

In my coaching and speeches, I refer to “a mark” as a shorthand way of saying “the person you want to influence.” A mark is the person you want to hear “yes” from. Everyone has marks.

Get clear about your mark. How can you make your idea most appealing to him or her?

3. The sidekick

We all need sidekicks. Batman is better with Robin (or Alfred, depending on how you look at it). Neo needed Trinity. Doctor Who isn’t himself without a companion. (Am I getting too nerdy for you?)

The point is, we all need someone on the sidelines to cheer us on. Also, don’t forget to consider sidekick groups. Group settings can be just as empowering.

4. The connector

This is, by far, the most overlooked “who” in the goal-setting process.

You have a goal and you know you need to hear a “yes” from a mark, but you give up when you realize you don’t have direct access to that mark. How can you get a “yes” when you can’t even get a “hello”?

“Who do I know who is connected to that person?”  Remember the persuasive process -- observe, connect, influence. In this instance, you will go through the process twice -- once for the connector and once more for mark.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254562