As we get close to the end of the year I started thinking about what do I need to do to be productive and ready when 2011 gets here? You may be feeling the same way. Maybe you are looking for a new job, or team members to add to your organization, or maybe you are like me, a business owner and thinking about new clients.

Whatever your current circumstances I am an advocate for having a dream team or success team. I’ll share a little about who I have on my team and offer suggestions for some you may want to consider.
My dream team consists of a business mentor, an executive coach and an image consultant. My business mentor is the person I go to when I have specific questions about my business and being on track I am generally on the phone with him several times a week. I like to dry run my strategies or sales calls by him before I venture into the big bad world.

I use my executive coach as a “once a month touch base and a keep me on track” person. She is tough and doesn’t let me slide once I have committed to tasks. She helps me see the forest because sometimes I am knee deep in the trees. She is one tough cookie and I like to say I pay her to be mean to me or tell me the things others won’t say.

My image consultant was a god-send many years ago; I refuse to let her leave my team. As I continue to workout and reduce my body fat I need her to help me pull the professional image together without looking like a little corporate clone. She knows I have a creative flare and high aesthetic so I like it when we add funky pieces to jazz up all that corporate gear one has to wear to meetings.

In deciding who is best to add to your dream team, some questions to consider:

• Who do I regularly seek advice from? What kind of advice, career or business? Do you take away insights that you use frequently?
• Who serves as a tried and true sounding board for new or crazy ideas you may have?
• Who would endorse you without reservation to a new client or employer?
• Who do you turn to discuss extremely confidential information, business or career?You don’t need many people on your dream team and having one may just give you that edge you need in either looking for that new job or building your business.

You don’t need many people on your dream team and having one may just give you that edge you need to either look for a new job or building your business.