We all want to be happy in our jobs. When you apply for a new role, you’re full of hope. This could be it. This could be the job where you really make your mark. Being intentional about your connections in that job gets you a lot further than you might think in solving this problem.

Most of us want more control in our careers. We want that feeling of trust, ownership, and independence. We want the leeway to do what we deem is right. We know that we get the job done, so we want to be treated as adults. We want to feel a sense of agency in our jobs.

What does Agency look like in our jobs

But finding agency at work isn’t just about having the leeway to do what we want to do. It’s about feeling confident that we’re getting to use our uniqueness to achieve great outcomes and that we can contribute in a way that no one else can. That’s when work is fun.

That can look so different from person to person. Maybe it’s being able to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. Maybe it’s being able to resolve an incident efficiently with low stress. Maybe it’s bringing order to chaos or beauty to the mundane. Whatever it is, it’s unique to you.

We all want to find shared meaning with our companies in order to foster this agency. We want to support others with our unique offerings. We want to create a shared vision with which we can connect.

Agency is the fuel that keeps our careers moving.

It energizes us, lets us move in the direction we want to go in, and leads us to great opportunities. We’re most effective in our current job when we have full agency. The good news is that we have the biggest role in achieving that agency!

The Problem

When work is going poorly and you don’t feel like you’re in control of your destiny there, it’s really hard to figure out what’s missing in order to get back on track. Where did things go so wrong?

The problem is that these things occur based on trust, and trust takes time and consistency. Most people struggle to deliver on that consistently, so they get stuck.

When communication with a professional connection group breaks down, we start to see the negative consequences of these workplace relationships deteriorating. Stakeholders lose faith in your work. Peers start to pull back on their support. You have no one to guide to give you purpose and no community to boost your morale. When this happens, burnout sets in. You feel stuck, without support.

Most tools don’t lead you into building trust and influence and understanding your idiosyncratic strengths. Or if they do market this, you don’t use them because you worry about who is reading your private thoughts in the app. So you’re left to your own devices or maybe you’re even looking for a new job in order to start over and build a new professional identity for yourself.

As humans, we thrive in communities where there is healthy connection and communication. It turns out that we just feel better when we’re supporting each other. This mutual support is essential for professional growth.

How much agency do you have in your job

Our Approach

So how do you build agency? How do you ensure you’re playing to your strengths? What are the measurable outcomes of agency?

Our approach is simple:

• Create intentional touch-points with yourself and your contacts
• Track your connections and commitments with each - what happened and what you felt about it
• Get insights about your unique contributions and which relationships are mutually beneficial
• Build trust by supporting others and staying consistently in touch (our app ensures no one falls off your radar)
• Get insights about what each individual may need as well as each group

This isn't just about building a network. It's about building meaningful connections by offering your unique support to others, which builds trust and endears your network to you. By managing your connections with the 10-30 people who comprise your stakeholders, peers, mentees, and greater community, you will gain valuable insights into what it takes to truly move forward and do the work that you want to be doing. By grouping your contacts into these categories, you'll also see which group of contacts may need more nurturing.

This approach is especially important for those seeking to create an identity for themselves at a new job, soon-to-be grads looking to find their place in the job market, and new managers who are thrown into the deep end with no system to do the important work of leadership.

We're building a professional relationship management platform that makes this approach simple and measurable. And our goal is that you’ll have the career that you dream of because of it.