Your own board of directors
W e have talked about mentoring in this column in the past-from both the mentor's and the "mentee's" perspectives. In fact, these have been some of our most popular topics judging from the number of reprint and reference requests for them. But the concept of mentoring is evolving.
New workplace realities have affected not only what comprises "mentoring," but also how people feel about entering into such a relationship. For example, the fact that most of us will have not one, but several "careers"-perhaps in widely different fields-over a lifetime limits the helpfulness of a single expert in a particular
discipline or firm. The flattening of organizations has lessened advancement possibilities for more and more people, making competition keener and making potential mentors less interested in helping others get ahead when it could eventually be at the cost of their own promotions. And shorter tenures may mean that your selected mentor may not be around long enough to really help you.
So, while it is still beneficial to find someone within your organization that can help you understand current culture and politics, you would do well to think in terms of several people who can advise you for your future career success.
Think in terms of a personal board of directors-individuals who can bring insights from beyond the here and now and from beyond your current level, current company, or even your current industry. The thing to remember, though, is that the subject is you and your career, so you need to consider people who are in a position to help you compare yourself, your skills, and your progress to others.
CAST A BROAD INTERNAL NET. While you might have asked your boss to be your mentor in the past, you might consider someone at your boss's level, or one up, in another department or division-someone who would not think of your advancement as a threat to his or her own.
You will get cultural and political insights from this individual, and you will also get a sense of your visibility outside of your immediate circle, as well as how highly regarded you and your operation are. A mentor of this kind can help identify cross-functional team membership, special assignment opportunities, or even job openings in areas you might not have been aware of if you had stayed "closer to home."
RECRUIT PEERS AS MENTORS. Peers can also be helpful as mentors, particularly those in other departments who have subject matter expertise. You may never want to be in sales or marketing, but understanding those functions may give you perspective that will help you get where you want to be. Subject matter expertise gained from a peer can keep you on the fast track, because you might not have to stop and spend time in a cross-training situation.
FIND A SUBORDINATE BOARD MEMBER. Some human resource professionals and recruiters who are up on the latest when it comes to mentoring suggest finding a subordinate to add to your board of directors. This may be somewhat awkward, but individuals at lower levels in the organization can tell you how you are seen as a supervisor or manager-valuable information. Another way to get at this would be to include a "360 degree" evaluation in the annual performance appraisal cycles with your people.
LOOK OUTSIDE YOUR ORGANIZATION. Once you have your internal bases covered, look for a director or two outside of your organization.
Consider starting with the membership of your professional organization. Pick someone there who you respect for his or her knowledge about your company, its position in the industry, the economy in general-or just plain good business sense. This could also be the person to ask for help in assessing and improving specific skills, since your weaknesses probably would not be a good discussion topic internally.
You do not even have to know the individual. He or she will probably be flattered by a coffee or lunch invitation and a request to give you some insights about and resources for a variety of topics-TQM, technology applications, financial management, process engineering, etc.
MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH YOUR BOARD. Once you have your board "on board," meet with each "member" on a regular or as-needed basis, depending on your situation and what you hope to gain from the relationship. But don't forget that ongoing relationships need to be two-way. At first, your mentor will be happy that he or she gets your respect and attention. Over time, you should be prepared to offer whatever assistance you can-above and beyond flattery.
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