Talking Stick - November/December 2016 - 33

my most significant mentor. We kept in
contact throughout my career."
Jahr emphasizes a new forum
for guidance and support that serves
as a valuable opportunity to access
a community of professionals. "The
advancements in technology and
the creation of the ACUHO-I online
community have really changed the
way mentorship can be managed and
the types of mentors you can recruit."
Thousands of us log onto the online
community to request or provide
information or advice. As Jahr notes,
"Our online community has removed
much of the formality and hierarchy that
can often deter these type of support
systems. Regardless of your years of
experience or your functional area there

(see diagram in sidebar) can help you
identify the types of mentors you may
already have in your circle. Some of the
professional roles you should consider
when creating your board include
sponsor, coach, people connector, peers,
outside sponsors, topical mentor, and,
depending on where you are in your
career, a seasoned or new professional in
your field.
Ann Marie Klotz, dean of campus life
at the New York Institute of Technology,
knows all too well the importance of
managing professional relationships.
"There is a lot of current literature that
outlines the three types of people you
should have in your life, and they are
coaches, mentors, and sponsors. A
mentor will talk you through the issue

For example, if you are in a position to
help make a hiring decision, you may
have power based on your identity or
position to offer sponsorship. It does not
have to be to a specific person, but within
the decision you can make sure that
potentially underrepresented identities
or underrepresented perspectives are
reviewed in an equitable manner. To me
sponsorship can be a tool to challenge
the system and create more equity in our
profession."
Teri Bump, vice president of
university relations and student affairs
for American Campus Communities,
openly shared that she has personally
benefited from coaching. She suggests
that coaching can lead to sponsorship
when leaders find professionals

IN A SPONSORING RELATIONSHIP, SOMEONE HAS TO HAVE THE POWER TO
MOVE YOU FORWARD BEYOND THE POLITICS, GLASS CEILING, OR LIMITED
SEATING AT THE PROVERBIAL TABLE.
are those among us that are willing to
serve as content experts, wise advisors,
historians, and general counsel for you!"
Caela Farren, in an article that
categorizes different types of mentors,
highlights the importance of using
multiple mentors as a means of
professional development. "Today
mentors may be our juniors, our seniors,
colleagues, or even people we have
never met personally." Many human
resources experts agree with the idea
of expanding your mentoring network.
You need a mentoring board, a group of
professionals whom you trust, who can
serve as a sounding board for your ideas,
who can share knowledge, and who can
invest in your overall development. It is
also wise to build professional support
early in your career so that when you
need to lean on your colleagues, they
are there for you. Farren's categorization

by laying out the pros and cons. A coach
will give you the tools and feedback that
you need to adjust; a sponsor will take
it a step further by removing obstacles,
advocating for you when you are not
in the room, but their main role is to
develop you as a leader."
In a sponsoring relationship,
someone has to have the power to
move you forward beyond the politics,
glass ceiling, or limited seating at the
proverbial table. Sonja Ardoin, clinical
assistant professor and program director
for higher education administration at
Boston University in Massachusetts and
author of a strategic guide for student
affairs professionals, describes this power
as a way to challenge the system. In an
interview, she explains, "When I think
about sponsorship I think about my role
in structurally changing the systems in
place that can hold professionals back.

with both untapped potential and a
willingness to do the work. Bump says
that in her career "experiences where
more seasoned professionals provided
specific suggestions and tactics to
improve my work have accelerated my
career trajectory." Coaching can be one of
the fastest ways to improve productivity
and interpersonal effectiveness and to
increase professional confidence. She
notes that "ultimately we can ask for
advice all day long, but it will only add
value if we act on it."
The opportunities to form
professional relationships are all around
you, but they may not be immediately
evident. If you are not accustomed
to following up after making new
connections or involving yourself in
opportunities to form new connections,
you may be missing an opportunity to
expand yourself and your thinking. Take

NOVEMBER + DECEMBER 2016

33
Talking Stick - November/December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - November/December 2016
