Building Intentional Connections

Marilyn Nagel, CLO of SAMI, CEO of Ready, Aim, Aspire and former CEO of Watermark and CDO of Cisco, came to 4D Molecular Therapeutics in Emeryville, on February 26th, 2019 to share her stories and lessons about the importance of building networks. She asked the thirty women attending, “Who’s in Your PBOD?” or Personal Board Of Directors. PBOD members are those that support and advise us in career growth and life. They can include family, friends, colleagues and mentors. She then asked us to identify an aspirational goal and short-term business goals. She encouraged thought around how the people in our PBOD can help us achieve these goals. 

She outlined several different types of people and emphasized the importance of having a balanced PBOD, in occupation, in gender, and archetypes to have a variety of perspectives to draw from when you need advice and support. Archetypes include: The Learner, The Energizer, The Supporter, The Connector/Navigator, The Relentless Coach/Action and The Hero/Sponsor. The Learner is someone constantly challenging you to learn and bringing wisdom to your life. The Energizer type are people who constantly give you energy and make you feel powerful. The Supporter provides unwavering support in all areas, like my mother, and I suspect many other parents/friends. The Connector/Navigator, such as our fearless leader, EB-AWIS President Danielle Tan, links people and ideas together. Marilyn is also a self-identified Connector/Navigator. The Relentless Coach/Action group, which I am a proud member of, is a source of encouragement and action. These people push you towards your goals and give you confidence to take on more responsibilities. The last archetype is the Hero/Sponsor, which within our attendees was the most difficult to identify in our PBODs. Hero/Sponsors are willing to take personal risks for your gain. They open doors to opportunity and fight for you behind closed doors. 

Marilyn tasked us with finding more PBOD members to fill the lacking archetypes within our PBOD. She told us to aim high and reach out to people that could be potential Hero/Sponsors, but warned that this doesn’t happen quickly, and work needs to be put in to these connections. Marilyn identified several ways for us to initiate these connections such as, asking them for a favor or if you can support them in some way.  Marilyn sparked thought about how we can establish intentional connections to benefit our careers and lives. We all hope to continue to build our PBODs and make new networks that get us where we want to go. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynnagel/

https://www.samigames.com/team

February 26, 2019 – Authored by Roxanne H. Croze, Member-at-Large EB-AWIS Board Member