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MENTORING AS A DEVELOPMENTAL NETWORK
YOUR PERSONAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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A ONE TO ONE RELATIONSHIP
Mentoring is defined as "one of the
most complex and developmentally
important relationships.... the mentor
is ordinarily several years older, a
person of greater experience and
seniority ... a teacher, adviser or
sponsor."
LEVINSON, DARROW, KLEIN, LEVINSON, & MCKEE,
1978: 97
TRADITIONAL MENTORING

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BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL MENTORING
Psycho-social
support
Higher
compensation
Higher rates of
promotion
Enhanced career
development

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Mentoring as a DEVELOPMENTAL NETWORK

5. MENTORING AS A DEVELOPMENTAL NETWORK
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MENTEE
Senior
colleagues
Peers
Family
and
friends
Community
members
 Involves having a Personal
Mentoring “Board of Directors”
 Consists not just of one mentor,
but a network of supportive
people
 Mentees receive mentoring from
many people at any one point in
time
A MANY TO ONE RELATIONSHIP

6. A COMPARISON
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TRADITIONAL
One-to-one Mentoring
DEVELOPMENTAL NETWORK
Board of Directors Mentoring
Organizational
Intra- and extra-organizational (e.g., profession,
community, family)
Hierarchical Multilevel
Single Dyadic relationship Multiple dyadic/networked relationships
Focus on Mentee learning Mutuality and reciprocity
Provided in sequence of relationships throughout career
(one mentor at a time)
Provided simultaneously by multiple relationships
throughout career at any given time in career (Multiple
mentors at a time)
Job related Career/person related

7. THE CASE FOR “BOARD OF DIRECTORS” MENTORING
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Higher job change rates
 Few workers stay in the same company for an entire
career
 The average worker today stays at each of his or her
jobs for 4.4 years (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Changing technology
Changing organizational structures: “Fast, flat and
flexible” organizational structure
Changes in the modern workplace
impact traditional mentoring:

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Building your “Board of Directors”

9. BUILDING YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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NETWORK DIVERSITY: flow of information
 Is the information you get from your network redundant or
diverse?
 Diversity correlates with innovation. Are you getting new
ideas from your network?
TIE STRENGTH: How close are you?
 Level of emotional connection
 Reciprocity
 Frequency and quality of communication
Using social networks theory to
build your mentoring team:

10. BUILDING YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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ACTIVITY
Map your social networks
 What groups do you belong to?
 Who is in your community?
 XYZ
 ABC

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Goals and Expectations

12. GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS
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What are your goals? Examine not only your
business goals but also your driving passions
in life.
What are you doing well? Which core
strengths will best serve you?
What roadblocks, challenges or weaknesses
are slowing you down?
Where do you need the most help—and who
can provide it?

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NEXT 1. Articulate your goals for the mentoring relationship.
2. Map them to potential mentors who have the strengths,
relationships, and resources to help you.STEPS