5 pitfalls to avoid in building your advice network

Building a strong advice network is crucial for executive success in today’s complex business landscape – but look out for these common pitfalls.

1. Over-reliance on one source

Different advisors bring different strengths to the table, so it’s essential to maintain a diverse network – and avoid the trap of only seeking advice from those who tend to agree with you or who have similar backgrounds.

2. Sharing confidential information

Open communication is important, but it’s vital to maintain appropriate boundaries, so be cautious about what you share with whom – especially when dealing with advisors outside your organization.

3. Using your network as a crutch for decision-making

The purpose of seeking advice is to inform your decisions, not for others to make them for you – you must still fully own your choices and their outcomes, which can impact the entire organization.

4. Advisor fatigue

Respect your advisors’ time and energy and don’t overburden any single advisor with constant requests for help, no matter how valuable their input may be.

5. Not reciprocating

Building mutually beneficial relationships will strengthen your network and ensure longevity, so look for opportunities to offer your insights or assistance to your advisors.

Key learning

The challenges you face become more complex as you rise higher in an organization and your career, so beware of complacency and nurture your advice network to make sure it grows with you.

Michael Watkins

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change

Michael D Watkins is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD, and author of The First 90 Days, Master Your Next Move, Predictable Surprises, and 12 other books on leadership and negotiation. His book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, explores how executives can learn to think strategically and lead their organizations into the future. A Thinkers 50-ranked management influencer and recognized expert in his field, his work features in HBR Guides and HBR’s 10 Must Reads on leadership, teams, strategic initiatives, and new managers. Over the past 20 years, he has used his First 90 Days® methodology to help leaders make successful transitions, both in his teaching at IMD, INSEAD, and Harvard Business School, where he gained his PhD in decision sciences, as well as through his private consultancy practice Genesis Advisers. At IMD, he directs the First 90 Days open program for leaders taking on challenging new roles and co-directs the Transition to Business Leadership (TBL) executive program for future enterprise leaders, as well as the Program for Executive Development.