A client calls and asks if you’re willing to take on a project, and it feels like a big stretch for you professionally. Or you’ve been freelancing for several years when a boutique consulting company offers you a full-time job. Or you’re thinking about going back to school for an advanced degree but aren’t sure how to choose the right program.

These are the kinds of scenarios that we all face as we navigate the increasingly complex landscape of our careers. When you’re working for yourself, you’re managing an army of one, but that doesn’t make decisions any less complex. From partnership opportunities to market changes, we’re faced with challenging situations like these on a regular basis.

You know yourself better than anyone (at least I hope you do), but when it’s time to make a tough decision, many heads are often better than one. A carefully assembled team of advisors can help you think through opportunities and help you see all sides of an issue. A team working on your side can help you get unstuck when you’ve been going around and around in your head. Your advisors can bring an outside perspective on the industry and the market to help you make better choices and stay on track.

So how can you create this valuable team? Let’s first look at what makes a good advisor.

They Know You Professionally

This is the critical difference between friends and advisors: These individuals have seen you work. They know that you run a tight ship, or that you’re a creative powerhouse, or that you never, ever, EVER miss a deadline. They are aware of what it takes to get ahead in your field, and they can help you clearly see how this opportunity fits into your portfolio.

They Want You to Succeed

While a lot of people may fit the first criteria, you want to make sure your personal advisors are people who have no conflict that would keep them from giving you the advice that will help you get to the next level. Don’t choose someone who is a direct competitor, or you may find that you’re up for the same opportunity. Select people who will commit to having your best interests at heart.

They Are Honest

What’s the point of having advisors if they will only tell you what you want to hear? Make sure you trust your team to tell you the truth, even when it isn’t pretty. There is huge value in knowing where you have work to do, in addition to where you are strong. Great advisors will be able to help you see your blind spots, which is critical for career growth.

Building up a team of advisors takes both time and a bit of structured effort on your part. Here’s how to do it in four steps:

Curate Your Network

Go through your contacts and make a shortlist of 10 to 20 people who you think could fit the bill based on the criteria above. Then narrow that list down to the three to five absolute best people you want in your corner.

Be Clear and Considerate

Meet with each person and share your intention of forming a board of advisors. Clarify what you’re asking (more on that in a moment), and ask them to opt in. If they say no for any reason, be respectful and appreciative—not everyone feels comfortable in this role.

Set Up a System

Once you know who’s on your team, set up quarterly coffee or lunch meetings. You can choose to meet everyone together (which will be harder if it’s more than one or two people) or plan individual meetings. Use these meet-ups to share your values and goals, keep advisors in the loop on your progress, and ask for guidance on smaller decisions. Once you have this baseline in place, when your advisors are familiar with your goals and needs, you can move to more spontaneous communication, but without context it will be tough for them to give you the best advice.

Be Proactive

It goes without saying that you’ll want to form your personal board of advisors before you actually need them. It’s no good to start this process the day you run into a challenge.

Your professional board of advisors is there to help you think through decisions like whether to take on a challenging client, whether to pursue funding, how to leverage strategic partnerships, how to grow professionally, and more. They are a small team of specialists with your best interests at heart and your career aspirations in mind.