AMAV VICDOC SUMMER 2023 - Magazine - Page 31
For more on what strong
professional relationships
and network look and feel
like and how they support
career and leadership
development read this
Stethoscope article.
W
e are often so focused
on our individual
contribution towards
a goal – to share our
expertise and experience – that
we can forget about connecting
with others and the powerful
advantages and benefits this
brings. Our professional
relationships and networks provide
knowledge and access to learning,
career opportunities, mentors
and sponsors and a buffer against
disengagement and loneliness,
which helps maintain our health
and wellbeing.
Being able to review and
reflect on your own network is
an important leadership skill. It
allows you to identify where your
network is strong and supportive
and where you might need to
make new relationships and
strengthen existing ones to feel the
benefits of this support structure
across your career.
In a highly-specialised field
such as medicine, the process of
building a diverse network to
support leadership development
and career management can easily
fall off the radar and be neglected.
Networks can become narrow,
restricted to a workplace(s), or to a
chosen specialty field and typically,
they are also often heavily
weighted in medicine, with limited
access to other industry sectors or
professional fields.
Click here for information on
AMA Victoria’s leadership
coaching programs
Networks can serve different
needs at different times and at
different points in a career. In early
career, they provide role models,
mentors and sponsors, which are
important for career advancement
and satisfaction. In mid-career,
thinking about our professional
colleagues and networks is
important for delegation, building
strong teams, recruiting and
developing high potential people,
as well as continuing to benefit
from strong role models, mentors
and sponsors. For senior leaders,
networks continue to support
the career pathway – even after
retiring from practice – and
support the development of
others progressing into senior
roles, providing the pipelines and
succession plans for future success.
However, this is bigger than
professional development. Strong
relationships protect us from
disconnection and loneliness at
work. So increasing our awareness
of our relationships and investing
in their care is important work.
HOW TO IMPROVE
YOUR PROFESSIONAL
NET WORK
-
From my experience working
with leaders across all career
stages, creating a drawing of
your professional network
is an effective way to start.
Draw your network map
by locating everyone who is
significant and important
to you professionally. The
purpose of this is:
1)For this to be selfaffirming, to remind you
of your ‘tribe’ out there
and who you can reach
out to.
2)To highlight where you
might want to strengthen
and extend your network
to increase the strong
connections and their
diversity by including
people in different
roles, areas, workplaces,
locations and experience.
You could note the
following significant others: a
role model, mentor, sponsor,
supporter and trusted friend.
The next step to reach out
to these people – say “Hi”,
share what you’re up to and
ask them how they are. It’s
simple, but often so hard for
us to prioritise.
References and resources
for this article are included
on our leadership resources
page (see Professional
relationships and network
section). This article and
podcast from the ABC
explore the challenges to
making and sustaining
friendships in busy
working lives.
VI CD O C SPRI N G 202 1
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