Long gone are the days of having one mentor to guide you through the ups and downs of your career.
As we climb the ladder of success and add checks to our goal list, our need for new wisdom, insight and critique continues to grow.
Coming from a large family 0f 10 siblings, career and executive coach Mary Pender Greene explained to a room full of women at Black Enterprise’s Women of Power Summit the value of having multiple individuals to lean on; not only in their personal life, but also in their professional life. After being introduced by Donna Fielding, who serves as head of human resources for the Global Enterprise Solutions division at ADP, and sponsor of the Mentoring Cocktail Reception at BWPS, Greene led a speed mentoring session where she educated nearly 300 women on her concept of a virtual personal board of directors.
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Similar to large corporations who have a board of directors, Greene highlighted the importance of building and connecting with multiple professionals who can serve as your mentor. Leaving the women with a copy of her latest book, Creative Mentorship and Career-Building Strategies: How to Build Your Virtual Personal Board of Directors, Greene shared the following benefits to having more than one mentor on your team.
1. Having multiple mentors helps you to gain new knowledge and insights
2. Mentors help you to build a support of like-minded individuals
3. Mentors provide you with honest feedback about your skills and talents
4. Having more than one mentor helps you to gain opportunities for increased visibility
5. Multiple mentors helps you to clarify your vision and attain your professional goals