Mentoring Constellations — A Modern Solution for a Modern Problem.

Don’t worry, I’m not starting a horoscope blog. Rather than explaining your star sign, this type of Constellation is best understood as the combination of mentoring relationships and developmental networking relationships, which can be housed in designated mentoring communities. While undoubtedly a topic of contention, I personally find this latter type more empowering than any astrological reading, yet just as fun.

Traditionally, the word “mentorship” had one sole evocation: A hierarchical one-on-one relationship for sharp suits and sharper words. However, when we consider that (at its heart) mentorship is a dynamic process of receiving wisdom, knowledge and guidance within a living dialogue, it is clear in today’s complex world, people no longer enact their mentorship experiences through exclusive one-to-one relationships, as vast numbers of professionals seek to receive mentoring lessons from multiple sources.

While online hubs, such as LinkedIn, can provide opportunities to connect with multiple mentors, Mentorship Constellations go a step further, placing these connections and conversations in active, focused communities where mentors and mentees alike are able to form personal and relevant relationships through natural channels.

In these extremely… Online times we find ourselves in, the need for mentorship constellations has become only more apparent. Whether professional or social networking, mentoring, or even dating, finding genuine human connections online can be difficult when you are “cold approaching” strangers. By positioning networking opportunities around an already active community, Mentorship Constellations make reaching out to peers or potential mentors a warmer, easier and more productive process.

Naturally you don’t need to take my word for it — the benefits of Mentorship Constellations to both mentors and mentees alike are increasingly well evidenced throughout academic research and literature.

For now though, a couple of quotes — I’ll write more on the below topics soon:

“Mentoring was found to be positively associated with both career satisfaction and intrinsic job satisfaction” J.Hetty van Emmerik, van Emmerik, I. J. H. (2004).

“Reciprocal partnerships which benefit not only the person traditionally known as the “protégé” but also the person traditionally known as the “mentor” Mary Sorcinelli and Jung Yun (2007)

“Have many mentors. Choose different people that can help you with a specific topic or a specific problem or a specific place in your career, as opposed to having one mentor who will help you with everything.” Ben Fried Chief Information Officer, Google.

“All members of an academic community have something to teach and learn from each other” (Sorcinelli and Yun 2007)