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Film-style poster for the Support Network Map for Mentors presentation

A guide for mentors: Support Network Map for Mentors

How to send the Support Network Map, read the roles and pick one person to reach.

English

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What it is

Who supports them, and how

Your mentee places people on three rings and marks the roles each one plays.

When to send it

Send it at a turning point

It helps when your mentee needs more people than you alone.

  • A new role or team the old network may not fit
  • Few contacts support rests on one or two people
  • A next step ahead a promotion, a move, a project

An honest frame

Many people, each in their own way

Support at work usually comes from several people (Higgins and Kram, 2001).

  • Not a score the map is for talking
  • Their own view only they know who helps
  • A snapshot fill it again later

Sending it

Send it from your pairing

It takes a minute, and your mentee gets an email.

Open your pairing

Choose Assign a tool and find the Support Network Map.

Try it as your mentee

Fill it in yourself first; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Open your pairing

Choose Assign a tool and find the Support Network Map.

Try it as your mentee

Fill it in yourself first; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Reading the answers

Look at the empty roles first

The map lists the roles nobody plays yet under "Nobody yet".

  • Empty roles how many of the eight have nobody
  • Close ring the share of people closest to them
  • One person can fill several roles a lot may rest on them

Advice and sponsorship

Advice is not sponsorship

A sponsor speaks up for them where decisions are made (Ibarra, Carter and Silva, 2010).

  • Guide gives advice and points the way
  • Sponsor (opens doors) speaks up where decisions are made
  • Who knows their work? a good place to start

Questions to ask

Ask who could fill a role

People who ask follow-up questions are liked more (Huang and others, 2017).

  • Which roles rest on the same one or two people? then: what if one of them left?
  • Who knows your work well enough to speak up for you? then: do they know what you want next?
  • What exactly will you ask the person you chose? then: how will you say it?

Feedback that helps

Talk about roles, not people

Feedback can backfire, so never judge the people on their map.

1 in 3 Over a third of feedback effects lowered performance in one large review Kluger and DeNisi, 1996

One step

One person to reach this month

Help them write who they will ask, what, and on which day.

94 Tests found that if-then plans help people reach their goals Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006

After the meeting

Keep it all on Mentornity

The answers, your comments and the next steps stay in one place.

Read it at a glance

People, empty roles and the close ring share are summed up.

Add next steps

Write what will be done, by whom and by when.

Ask to fill it again

Earlier answers are kept, so you can compare the maps.

Read it at a glance

People, empty roles and the close ring share are summed up.

Add next steps

Write what will be done, by whom and by when.

Ask to fill it again

Earlier answers are kept, so you can compare the maps.

Fill one empty role together

Ask who could play the missing role, then offer one introduction if you can.

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