With A Little Help From My Friends

“.. a friend is someone who inspires, who challenges, 

who sends you in search of some truer sense of yourself..” 

- Steve Lopez, journalist and author

I like to write.  What I really like is writing for a living...in public relations: in-house, writing for an organization and connecting it to its public.  So, in  the immediate aftermath of my unfortunate higher education employment displacement (wink-wink), I immersed myself in all the PR info I could find in cyberspace...my own form of post-employment stress disorder therapy. One of my best sources is PR Daily, a news feed that comes to my inbox every afternoon.  A recent article, “8 people you need in your network”, by Becky Johns, about building a network for your professional life, was so interesting  and pertinent, I thought I would share it here on my blog.

This brings me to today’s Sign Post: 

“.. a friend is someone who inspires, who challenges, who sends you in search of some truer sense of yourself..” – Steve Lopez, journalist; author, The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music

Cultivate a broad network of professional "friends" for the unique qualities they possess and bring out in you, just as you've developed personal friendships with people from different times, places and significance in your life.

In her article, Becky Johns identifies 8 different “people” (“friends”) that you should have in your professional support system to help you stay focused and sane:

• The “Cheerleader”: will always be there “to root for you” and will “gather support for you from others.” 
• The “Geek”: will “always know about the newest technologies, the emerging digital trends”, and “what’s next”. 
• The “Peer”: is “like-minded…understands where you’re coming from.” 
• The “Mentor”: can “recognize your potential and help cultivate your talent”. 
• The “Protégé”: who can “look to you for advice will make you feel responsibility toward the success of another.” 
• The “Influencer”: is a “rock star” in your industry. 
• The “Weirdo”: or as one commenter called it, the “artist”, is “a crucial source of inspiration” who can “fuel your right brain”.
• The “Hater”: or as a dear friend of mine referred to himself, the “devil’s advocate”, “won't be afraid to challenge you.”

During my career, I've played many of the roles described above, but, by nature, I am the Cheerleader. What roles have you played? Which one comes most naturally?