One of my favorite movies is Jerry Maguire. I mean, how could you not love that movie? I love it because it’s about standing up for what you believe in, figuring out what’s important, living a life that’s authentic to you.

The greatest line is when Jerry is telling Rod “Help me help you.” My favorite scene is here.

Many of you are starting to think about your next role…but you don’t know quite how to figure out what that next role is. After all, all you know is your role.  So you have a conversation with your manager….and he/she is equally perplexed how to help you find that next role too because they are also limited to what they know.

So here’s the question I would ask your manager:

“Who are the three people you think I should meet with who could help me figure out what my next role might be?”

Every manager knows three people who can be helpful in this capacity: either because the person has been at the firm a long time (the Guide), or because the individual has had lots of mobility moves themselves (the Mobility Whisperer), or because the person is trusted and respected (the Sage).  Once you get the names, send an email to each of them separately that says something like “Hello G, my name is Sue, and I’m currently working for Joe in x department in Marketing. I’ve been thinking about what my next step might be, and he suggested that you would be a good person to talk to. Can I set some time up on your calendar at your convenience?”  It might take some time to set up, but most people love to share their experiences and help someone else.

This way you can move the ball forward, expand your network, and figure out what your next move might be.