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Volume 23, Number 24 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Power Mentoring
How Successful Mentors and Protgs Get the Most Out of Their Relationships

By Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc Adapted by permission of Jossey Bass ISBN: 0-7879-7952-X

Reviewed by Jennifer Cuthbertson

Introduction
Today, few employees spend their entire career at one company. Some people move from company to company in search of raises and promotions; while some move from project to project. Most people will switch careers at some point. This means that there is no longer one clear pathway to success, much less a clearly defined career pathway. That is why mentors are more important today than ever before, and why Power Mentoring, by Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy is such an important book. It contains advice and a how-to plan for those looking to be protgs or mentors and for those who already are.
Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 24 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

PART I: WHAT IS POWER MENTORING?

Employment patterns have changed, and so have the needs of employees. Mentoring relationships have changed as well. Just as most of us do not stay with one employer, most of us do not stay with just one mentor. According to Ensher and Murphy, power mentoring is all about showing you how to actively develop and improve your relationships with others and, in doing so, gain all of the career outcomes that you have always imagined. The authors interviewed mentors and protgs to learn more about the dynamics of the relationship. During their research, they learned that most of the protgs did not rely on just one mentor for support. Instead, they networked with different mentors who support ed them in different situations and at different points in their careers. This network is what the authors term power mentoring. The mentor-protg teams who were interviewed are mainly from entertainment, technology, and politics, because these industries have a high percentage of workers who move from project-to-project, work in teams, and identify with their profession or party more than with a particular organization or corporation. The modern work environment requires managers who can work skillfully with diverse employees, who can enable employees to balance work and personal lives, and who can respond to customers changing needs. Technology has changed the face of the workplace by blurring the boundaries between work and home. Employees have more demands on them, but they also have more choices. Because employees can choose from a traditional corporate career, consulting, temporary work, freelancing, etc., they now must manage their own career. According to research on mentoring, mentors furnish both emotional and career support. They help clarify expectations, encourage development, and provide opportunities for a protg to learn and grow. The relationship is not a one-way street. Mentors also receive benefits. They are able to improve their skills of coaching and providing feedback, and they get a greater sense of personal fulfillment. Some companies have formal mentoring programs, and 60 out of Fortune magazines top 100 best organizations support formal mentoring. However, the authors research shows that many company-sponsored mentoring programs fail to deliver everything an employee needs, because

Key Concepts
Power Mentoring relationships can benefit both the protg and mentor and can take on several forms: Boss Mentor Supervisors, providing emotional and career support. Reverse Mentoring Senior executives, paired with the next generation of leaders. E-Mentoring Using computer-mediated communications to mentor protgs throughout the organization. Group Mentoring Senior-level mentors provides ongoing coaching to teams or groups of junior-level employees. Barrier-Busting Mentoring Relationships that are formed across traditional barriers such as corporate divisions or competitive. Peer-Mentoring Between individuals of equal status. Situational-Mentoring Project-based or some other context that is bound by time or task. * * *

Information about the author and subject: www.powermentoring.com Information about this book and other business titles: www.wiley.com Related summaries in the BBR Library: Managers as Mentors By: Chip R. Bell Secrets of an Executive Coach By: Alan Downs

they are based on traditional mentoring relationships. Traditional mentoring is limited because it is: based on outdated career assumptions; difficult to obtain because the demand for mentors exceeds the supply; and often part of formal mentoring programs that are sometimes less successful than spontaneously developed relationships.

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Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

On the other hand, power mentoring includes aspects of traditional mentoring, but expands and departs in certain aspects. The characteristics of power mentoring include: access to groups of mentors; benefits for both protgs and mentors; relationships between people who have complimentary skills and needs; protgs choosing their mentor rather than vice versa; succession planning, not just for a position, but for a profession; and mentors who are not necessarily from the same company as the protg.

Traditional mentoring tends to be more linear, while the authors describe power mentoring as an umbrella. Under this umbrella are traditional mentors, electronic or ementors, reverse mentors, peer mentors and many others. Power mentoring may not be An inspirational mentor is important in providing a protg with a a traditional pairing of one mentor sense of identity, purpose, and vision. and one protg. Larry Carter, former Chief Financial Officer of Cisco, mentored Patty that of a boss mentor. The authors describe a boss mentor Archibeck, senior manager, Executive Communications. as one who provides emotional and career support to the subordinate-protg within the formal boundaries of the relationship as well as the informal. The protgs success About the Authors tends to depend on the performance of the boss mentor, and Ellen Ensher, PH.D is an associate professor of the boss mentor must have trust in the protg. Many times management at Loyola marymount University in when the protg moves on, the mentoring relationship Los Angeles, California. Dr. Ensher earned her may evolve into a lasting friendship, or it could dissolve masters degree in public administration at the completely. University of Southern California in 1990 and comAn example of this type of mentor relationship is pleted her doctorate in organizational psychology that of Linda Sanford, a senior executive at IBM. One of at Claremont Graduate University in 1997. She has her mentors was Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM. He published 25 articles and book chapters. encouraged her to stretch by working in salessomething Susan Murphy, PH.D is an associate professor she never saw herself doing and was reluctant to take on. of psychology at Claremont McKenna College She became the chief of IBMs sales force and helped move and the associate director of the Henry R. Kravis IBM from fifth to second in total storage market share in Leadership Institute in Claremont, California. the two years she held that position. Dr. Murphy earned her Ph. D and M.S. from the Sanford was an unlikely candidate for sales as she University of Washington in organizational psyhad spent most of her career in product development, so chology and organizational development and is Gerstner tool a chance by encouraging her. But that risk also an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate paid off for both the protg and the mentor. University. She has published more than 25 articles Another form of power mentoring is reverse mentoring. and book chapters and edited two books. Some companies, like IBM and GE, have formal reverse
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But because he could not offer a female perspective on the work-life balance issue, he encouraged her to look beyond Cisco for other mentors. Archibeck reached out to Debra Martucci, vice president of Information Systems at Synopsys. As this example illustrates, power mentoring relationships may move beyond the boundaries of the company. There are benefits to having internal and external mentors. Internal mentors help protgs learn the ins and outs of their company, while external mentors can provide a different perspective and can help with broader career issues. Power mentoring relationships tend to be more diverse and give protgs access to people in power positions who can support them and give them more visibility. This is critical in a business climate where many companies have downsized and moved to flatter structures. This has tested employee loyalty and led to less clear career paths. Power mentoring can take on several forms. The first is

Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

mentoring programs. Here, senior executives are paired with the next generation of leaders. The senior executive gains a fresh perspective and a way to communicate with the junior executives, and the junior executive gets career advice and rare access to senior management. E-mentors are another form of power mentoring, which involves using computer-mediated communication like e-mail, instant messaging and live chats. Linda Sanford

Peer and step-ahead mentoring relationships have an equalization of status that has the potential for more open and honest dialogue and for more empathy. However, it is possible that mentor and protg could find themselves competing with one another on later career moves. Another short term form of mentoring is a mentor-ofthe-moment or a situational mentor. This may be a projectbased mentor or some other context that is bound by time or task. Protgs must be open to these The key to a sustained network of power mentoring opportunities in order to recognize relationships is that those involved must feel the relationship them and to benefit from them. creates a win-win situation.
PART II: WHATS IN A POWER MENTORING RELATIONSHIP FOR YOU?

now mentors others at IBM, and her protgs are all over the globe. This form of mentoring removes the time and geographical constraints. Employees often work in teams or groups and so can mentoring. Group mentoring is another form of power mentoring, and it involves a senior-level mentor who provides ongoing coaching to small groups of junior-level employees. Sometimes the number of protgs can exceed that of mentors. It is also a way to foster camaraderie, and can be a rich source of peer mentoring. Mentoring is traditionally seen as an ongoing relationship, but sometimes advice is needed for a specific situation. The mentor-for-hire relationship might fit the bill in this instance. It is a short term relationship geared toward achieving a finite goal or goals. Often times, the mentor is a consultant hired by the employee. Inspirational mentors provide a model of excellence for a protg and there may not even be a real relationship between the two. For example, former California Congressional Representative Ron Dellums credits Martin Luther King with providing him clarity and a sense of purpose for his career and public service. Sometimes family-member mentors provide support. This form of mentoring usually begins early in life and provides an important and ongoing perspective. This form of mentoring can be a disadvantage, because of family issues and charges of nepotism. Another form of mentoring is that of barrier-busting mentors. These are mentor-protg relationships that are formed across traditional barriers such as competitive or political parties. This form carries the risk of social censure, but it also a way to gain perspective and empathy.

The authors believe that being a mentor is not a completely altruistic act. In their research, they found an emphasis on the idea of reciprocity or mutual benefits. Mentors and protgs may exchange very different but equally valuable things. As an example, consider reverse mentoring. The junior employee might exchange technical knowledge for the senior employees political savvy about organizational issues. Specifically, power protgs can gain the following benefits during their career from having a mentor. more compensation; greater job and career satisfaction; more promotions; greater job mobility; and better work-family balance. Mentors tend to gain things that are both career-focused and self-focused. On the career side, they are able to pass on information, build a competent workforce, help others succeed and benefit their organization. On the self-focused side, their gains include. freeing up time by having protgs take on projects; acquiring new knowledge and insights; gaining a sense of pride; building support network; and enjoying the loyalty of their protg. An example of a mutually beneficial relationship is that of Bob Wright who was named president and chief executive of NBC in 1996, chair and chief executive in
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Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 24 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

2001, and became chair and chief executive officer of NBC that addresses issues like career strategies. It is often a less Universal in 2004. He has mentored many people. Pamela comprehensive approach and more subject-specific. Thomas-Graham, chair of CNBC, is one. Wright felt that he gained satisfaction while watching Thomas-Graham PART III: HOW DOES A MENTOR-PROTG develop, and he gained insight into her demographic group. RELATIONSHIP WORK? Thomas-Graham was able to find younger reporters from Why do protgs choose mentors? What attracts a diverse backgrounds and promote them into anchor roles. mentor to a certain protg? Recent research shows that Organizations also benefit from providing an deeper levels of similarity in terms of values, attitudes, environment where mentoring flourishes. They usually and goals are more important in attracting a protg to a recruit more talented employees Tests and challenges are important for both mentors and protgs because of their reputation for to know about, because they help protgs gain an idea of what developing them. Employees are power mentors want. usually happier and, therefore, there is greater organizational mentor than demographic similarity. productivity. Many times mentors and protgs share complimentary Mentors tend to have one of four philosophies about skills and perspectives. Sometimes a protg chooses a mentoring: mentor or a mentor chooses a protg, because they see a 1. A corporate citizen is one who views mentoring compelling characteristic or skill. A mentor may see that as a way to ensure that the corporations next generation a protg has a demonstrated potential and a willingness of leadership is ready to lead the organization. In this to learn. philosophy or model, the mentoring relationship is more The authors compiled a list of the ten characteristics likely to be initiated by the mentor. In the power mentoring that make up the perfect protg. They are version of this model, many of these relationships will 1) intelligence; transition into lasting relationships that hold up even if one 2) ambition; party leaves the corporation. 3) willingness to take risks; 2. A pragmatic mentor is one who focuses on what 4) initiative; they do for their protgs as a transactionan exchange 5) energy; for benefits. They recognize the reciprocal benefits to 6) trustworthiness; mentoring, and that is one reason they act as mentors. Some 7) integrity; mentors find that this is a great way to preserve their own 8) high emotional intelligence; legacy and to groom their successor. 9) optimism; and 3. A global citizen is one who sees mentoring as a 10) complimentary skills. duty to society not just to their organization. They seek to provide broad life lessons and the big picture to their As mentioned earlier, power mentors often test and protgs. They do not just concentrate on what needs to challenge their protgs. Several of the mentors the authors be done to get ahead at a job. They have a passion for their interviewed felt uncomfortable initially when testing their craft as it relates to larger societal issues, and this may mentor, but came to see it as integral to the early stages make them a more demanding mentor. This model is often of the relationship. In some cases, these challenges were beneficial for young protgs new to their career. litmus tests to evaluate requests for their attention. 4. The master mentor who has a mission, such as Protgs need to have some basic strategies they use getting more women involved in a certain profession, and for meeting the tests and challenges designed to weed out who is intensely involved in mentoring. These mentors tend candidates. Among those are to understand their protgs as individuals and have more Have a plan for communicating to the potential of a career coaching and mentoring relationship with them mentor a goal and plan of action for your future

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 24 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

relationships were either protg initiated or mutually initiated. Both protg and mentor must be comfortable with each other and feel they can trust the other. Trust is a critical part of the mentoring relationship, as mentors and protgs will share secrets, ambitions, and advice. The trust must be mutual. For the power mentors and protgs featured in this book, trust came from a foundation of shared values and similar perspectives. Sometimes the shared values and perspectives were rooted in the mentors and protgs business outlook. Kay Koplovitz became the first woman founder and president of a network television stationthe USA network. Bob Rosencrans, who is with Columbia partners Likewise, a mentor needs to know what questions to and on the board of firms such as C-SPAN, is a mentor ask of a protg. Does the protg have a goal? Will this be to Koplovitz. She worked with Rosencrans at the cable a win-win relationship? What are my first impressions of company UA Columbia, and the two shared similar ideas the protg? Is this protg a winner or a whiner? of what could be done with the then new medium of sports Sometimes the tests and challenges that a protg face cable broadcasting. They also shared values around their deepen the mentoring relationship. Congresswoman Hilda attitudes about negotiation and business deals. Solis, a democrat from California, receives many requests Koplovitz says that she learned the most from Many actively seek out important relationships to further their Rosencrans by observing the way he saw business and treated people in careers to find good advice and support for their next career business relationships. She also learned decision. that she shared his philosophy that in a for mentoring and assistance. She posed a challenge to negotiation, both parties must gain something, so he would would-be protg Sharon Martinez, now Council Member always leave a little bit on the table for the other guy. for the City of Monterey. At that time Martinez was running Trust is also important to the mentoring relationship, for the council position, and Solis asked her for her budget. because part of the relationship is giving and receiving She told Martinez to come back when she had raised $10,000 difficult feedback. Mentors are not the only ones who will for her campaign. give important and sometimes difficult feedback. Because Once a protg passes an initial test, the next test might of a protgs perspective, their insight is often valuable to be more substantial and have more risk for both mentor and a mentor. protg. The mentor may give the protg a work challenge, How do you begin to locate someone who shares such as a project. Successfully meeting challenges like this your business philosophy and values, and who can help can cause the mentor-protg relationship to deepen. But, a you advance your career? Finding a mentor is not that protg does not have to meet a challenge in order for this mysterious or difficult of a task. In a way, the process to happen. Listening to and acting on a mentors advice is is similar to a job hunt. Read industry-specific lists and often enough to cause the relationship to deepen. journals to identify the top people in a field. Then do From a protgs perspective, finding an appropriate background research on some of the people. Ensher and mentor is the most important step in the process. Protgs Murphy suggest using the six degrees of separation need to know what they want out of the relationship. method to see if protg and mentor have any mutual Determining this will make it easier to narrow the search. acquaintances. The idea of the six degrees of separation is In the authors research, the majority of the mentoring that everyone we want to meet is only six people away from us, and it is just a matter of networking to reach them.
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career. Protgs should think about what they want to do and what their ultimate goal is. Know how the relationship will benefit the mentor and bring something to exchange with them. When considering entering into a mentoring relationship, mentors will often think about if they can actually help the protg and will want to know how the relationship benefits them. Make a good first impression. Maintain good eye contact. Have attentive body language and speak clearly and concisely. Communicate positively and with passion. Be clear about what you want from the relationship.

Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

Places to look for mentors or connections to potential mentors include: within your own family; at workbosses, co-workers, etc.; during organizational initiatives; in virtual communities; and even at your competitors place of business.

Through their research and interviews, the authors found that once a relationship is formed, intimacy and commitment become key elements of Goals play an important role in the success of mentoring the relationship. Protgs and mentors relationships, but one key to attaining goals is the process of must be willing to be open and honest, self-management. must trust each other, and must have an In the getting involved: know how to get what you want interdependent relationship. The factors that lead to this type phase, it is important to complete an honest self-assessment of relationship are frequent interaction, efforts to increase to understand the types of benefits that you bring to the closeness, and defining moments in the relationship. relationship. This is also where a protg spends time The authors provide some tips for deepening the thinking about and identifying where to find a mentor. mentoring relationship: Protgs must make a good impression on potential develop a deep understanding of each others work mentors. To do this, the protg must have a plan for environment and issues; approaching the mentor. The protg might ask for career develop a mutual admiration society; advice, but he or she must make it apparent that they have treat each other as confidantes; something to offer the mentor and must make it clear what be open to ideas; he or she wants from the mentor. help each other focus on solvable problems; The authors suggest that protgs looking for mentors develop a mutually meaningful relationship; and not only complete a self-assessment, but that they ask know when to bring others into the relationship. others to assess them as well. They have designed a benefit interview that contains three questions: Just as you would have a plan for finding a new job, 1) What strengths do you think I bring to my you should create a plan for entering into a mentoring work? relationship. Ensher and Murphy call it a Relationship 2) How might a mentor help my career? Development Plan (RDP). The plan is a combination of 3) What benefits might I offer a mentor? advice and of interactive exercises designed to make a protg think about what they want from the mentoring relationship. There are three phases of the RDP 1) Getting started: know what you want; 2) Getting involved: know how to get what you need; and 3) Getting close: know how to build and deepen the relationship. In the getting started: knowing what you want phase, the first step is to visualize what you want from the relationship. There are some questions that will help with this step. What type of industry or organization does your ideal mentor work for? What might a typical conversation be like? At the end of the relationship, what will you have This inventorying process is not only for would-be protgs, but with a few modifications, it can also for those who are serious about mentoring. After the mentoring relationship is established, the getting close: know how to build and deepen the relationship phase begins. This phase is where a protg and a mentor must actively assess their relationship and determine how to improve it in order for both to accomplish their career goals. Research suggests that mentors provide protgs career assistance, emotional assistance, and role modeling. These
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accomplished? How will your mentor have benefited from the relationship? During this phase of the RDP, protgs and mentors need to consider their philosophies about mentoring and determine where they fit in to the four philosophies of mentoring mentioned earlier the corporate citizen mentor, the pragmatic mentor, the Global-citizen mentor, and the master mentor. Both mentor and protg need to know which type of relationship, they are most comfortable with.

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 24 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

are also the relationship characteristics that most impact a protgs satisfaction with the relationship. One method for assessing a protgs satisfaction with a current mentoring relationship is simple self-reflections. There are some simple statements centered on career, emotion, and role modeling that a protg can think about. They include: Career My mentor takes a personal interest in my career. My mentor gives me coaching about my job. My mentor shares valuable information with me. Emotion I share personal problems with my mentor. I exchange confidences with my mentor. I often share a meal with my mentor. Role Modeling I imitate the work behavior of my mentor. I admire my mentors ability to motivate others. I respect my mentors ability to teach others. Another assessment that both mentor and protg need to engage in periodically has to do with trust. This is where those tests and challenges that Ensher and Murphy discussed earlier come into play. A mentor might give a protg something to read and review, ask him or her to research something, or give a job-specific test. This will help determine a protgs ability to live up to expectations. A mentor might also need to decide if a protg is going to be beneficial to his or her own career. Protgs might be asked to give a professional presentation or to otherwise act in the mentors behalf. When the protg passes, the confidence of both mentor and protg will increase and so will the level of trust. The activities in the RDP are designed to help both mentor and protg enter into and maintain a mutually fulfilling relationship and beneficial relationship. The various parts of the RDP can be used both at the beginning of a relationship, as well as after it has formed. The authors research provides insight into how to make a formal mentoring program more successful. Some of the lessons that a corporation can take are Experiment with different forms of mentoring. Encourage mentoring and coaching. Utilize both formal and informal mentoring programs.

Regard mentoring as an important way to develop executive talent. Develop a philosophy for a formal mentoring program. Emphasize a complimentary skills approach. Make development of trust a foundation of the program. To ensure the success of a formal mentoring program, it is important to have top management support, voluntary participation, proper prescreening, proper pairing, enhanced training and support, and proper feedback and program evaluation. * * * A chapter-by-chapter summary and a bibliography are provided.

Remarks
Power Mentoring by Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy is the perfect book for a potential protg or mentor, as well as for any company that is contemplating a mentoring program. It is also the ideal book for anyone who is currently in a mentoring relationship. It provides great advice on how to take the relationship further, and how to personally gain from it. The book redefines mentoring and provides valuable comparisons and insights into how mentoring differs from power mentoring. The illustrations from the authors interviews help to make the explanations come to life. Some readers may be frustrated by the fact that these mentors and protgs featured are movie directors, politicians and heads of industry, and their positions seem out of reach. But, that should not stop anyone from reading the book. The mentors and protgs profiled have the most dramatic examples of power mentoring and how it works, but they are lessons that can be applied by anyone in any profession. The authors provide specific advice and information from questions that mentors and protgs should ask of each other and of themselves to the tests and challenges they may both face. Plus, the step by step Relationship Development

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Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

Plan makes it easy for anyone to get started with a power mentoring relationship.

Reading Suggestions
Reading Time 12-15 hours, 339 Pages in Book Readers should not be put off by the size of the book. The information contained is valuable, and the first 273 pages are the heart of the book. Because of the depth of the information contained in each chapter, it is best to read a chapter or two at a time, and then to take some time to reflect on the information. There are exercises for both mentors and protgs to complete. These are probably best done during a second reading of the book. It would be very easy to get caught up completing an exercise and miss the information on how to apply the lessons learned. Use the final chapters of the book as a how-to manual. Photocopy the exercises and quizzes, so that they can be used more than once. These are great exercises for both mentor and protg to engage in together and to discuss.

CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction to Peer Mentoring Chapter 2: The Many Faces of Power Mentoring Chapter 3: Mentoring as a Two-Way Street Chapter 4: The Mind of the Mentor Chapter 5: The Protgs Perspective Chapter 6: Unlocking the Secrets of Great Power Mentoring Relationships Chapter 7: Power Mentoring and You Chapter 8: Conclusion: What We Have Learned About Mentoring in Todays Work Environment

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 24 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Power Mentoring

Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy

A Note to Our Readers

We at BBR encourage our readers to purchase the business books we review. BBR Reviews are intended as a service to busy professionals, as we recommend only those books that are worth your time to read in their entirety. We apply stringent criteria in selecting only the best business books, and in that selection process, strive to help you make informed book-purchasing decisions.

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Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 24 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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