Multiple Mentors: what a great idea!

It is well known that mentoring is a very powerful way for managers to progress their skill and careers, but a recent article in the MIT Sloan Review suggests that one mentor might not be enough!

Those who have created mentoring relationships will know that these can take some time to establish. The process usually includes: getting approval from the organisation; finding an appropriate mentor; negotiating with the mentor that they will act (with any attached conditions); agreeing on the process for the mentoring sessions; and organising times and dates. Even then, they often fail if both parties do not make sufficient commitment—or even if there isn’t the right 'chemistry'.

Clearly creating and maintaining a range of mentors—whilst clearly beneficial—could involve significant time and effort. The Sloan Review article proposes that managers commit to networking and then choose appropriate mentors, as needed, from that network. This could still require significant commitment.

Once a range of mentor relationships is established, it can still take considerable elapsed time to resolve an issue, if the advice from two different mentors differs. So, how can the best advice be found? Is there another course of action?

Fortunately, we have an alternative solution, which can give similar results without the significant effort that creating and maintaining multiple mentoring relationships needs. The option is called facilitated syndicates (which Fast Track Leadership runs).

A facilitated syndicate is a formal group of individuals (usually 6 to 8) who come together with common learning goals and has a professional facilitator. It also has rules regarding confidentiality.

Each of the people in the syndicate acts as a co-mentor and co-coach so at any given meeting, each person has the support of 5 to 7 others, at the same time. Because everyone is at the same place at the same time, there is an opportunity for many potential solutions to be considered and refined.

People find many different benefits from being a member of a facilitated syndicate, but here are a few:

• provides a strong support group of co-mentors and co-coaches
• gives the individual the authority to learn and gain responsibility for self-development
• allows the individual to control the mode, content and pace of learning
• supports 'soft skill' (usually related to people) development
• gives access to a group of people who have similar interests
• provides a confidential 'sounding-board' for ideas
• creates 'milestones' which focus the individual on progress and allows people to recognise and celebrate achievements
• creates more networks
• creates and reinforces mentoring and coaching skills for the individual
• empowers the individual to make changes.

The external facilitation ensures that the syndicate stays on track and retains momentum.

If provided by an organisation, there can be some additional benefits:

• provides direct links between the plans of the organisation and the development activity of the individual
• provides a cost-effective way of supporting development
• can support organisational change programs
• ensures that the learning takes place in the context of the goals and culture of the organisation
• provides link to personal development plans and an immediate way of moving the development forward
• supports continuous development
• aids retention of staff
• re-energises people
• ensures that people drive their own development agenda and as a result are likely to be more committed and motivated by it.

To learn more about how Fast Track Leadership can improve your mentoring, contact Andrew Fenlon today on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

¹ Brown Walker, B, (translation and summary) The I Ching, Judy Piatkus (Publishers) Ltd, 1993