Who is in your Kitchen Cabinet?
by Julie Waters, PHR

You read that right, I said Who, not What.  I am not talking about the goofy stuff that the movers packed during your last PCS (full garbage cans anyone?).  I am talking about the smart people in your life.  Who are your trusted advisers? Who do you call to talk to when you have a big decision to make?  And why is it so important to listen closely to their feedback to move your career or your life on to the next step?

The history of cabinet government goes way back to 11th century England where a group of prominent men offered advice to the monarch.  The Kitchen Cabinet term came about during Andrew Jackson's presidential term as a description for the collection of unofficial advisers he consulted at the same time he was consulting his government cabinet, or the Parlor Cabinet.  Whether official or not, we all need to have trusted people we can turn to when we need help with a decision.

If you are an entrepreneur, having a Kitchen Cabinet will help with that feeling of being alone when it comes to running your business.  While the ultimate decision is yours to make, sharing problems and solutions with like-minded people will certainly help.  You can't possibly think of every good answer, so your cabinet members can help you fill in the blanks, particularly when it comes to your weak spots.

Though you may not call it a cabinet, if you are working in the corporate world, it is likely that you already have a team of trusted co-workers, even if they are not in your chain of command that you go to for their expertise.  Those people that you respect and admire because of their knowledge, work ethic, or way of looking at the industry will contribute to your department with a simple conversation.  Imagine what you can do if you were to formalize those meetings!  Particularly when it comes to collaborating on a companywide project.  

For your personal life, it is likely that you already have an informal network of friends that you have come to rely on.  As a military spouse and all the moves that go with that moniker, you have built many relationships with so many different types of people.  How can you use those relationships to better your current situation?  

You may have different groups talking about different topics.  Talking to some other small business owners about marketing, while talking to a group of parents about financial aid for college.  These are your networks and you use them in very different, very specific ways.  Aside from all of the "fixes" that a cabinet may help provide, being around others, particularly the smart people in your life, will help you to become more well-rounded, better informed and thinking at a higher level in general.  However remember that good listening skills will immensely enhance what is gained from your groups.

So who would be in your Kitchen Cabinet?  What can each person bring to the table to help you accomplish your goals?  Maybe your goal is simply to have a conversation - problems and solutions will grow organically as that conversation moves along.  And starting this talk will not only be helpful to you.  While you may be setting up a cabinet for your benefit, others will certainly gain from it as well.  Very much like networking, you are there to help others, contribute ideas for other people's issues.  

Julie was lucky enough to choose a career that easily transfers between employers as her husband's assignments moved them from city to city.  She holds a special interest in career building for military spouses as she feels it is important to have something personal outside of our military lifestyle.  

 

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