Personal Advisory Board Multiple Mentors Career Success: Personal Advisory Board Multiple Mentors Pat Sobrero Professor, Virginia Tech Friday, October 28, 2005 Pat Sobrero Professor, Virginia Tech Friday, October 28, 2005

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Why?  A Personal Board of Directors is a unique example an effective mentoring process that can enrich the life planning process.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Why A Personal Board of Directors ?  You will have an established structure of leaders and multiple mentors who have life experience.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Requirements  Self-direction  Careful mentor selection  Clarity of goals & processes  Steadfastness

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Requirements  Be able to ask for help to ensure success for life planning  Be willing to listen to advice and wisdom offered  Say Thank You!

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech A Personal Board of Directors can:  Enrich life long planning processes,  Enable you to be a continuously improving professional, and  Provide an honest, yet caring critique of issues.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Personal Advisory Board Consider Diverse Membership

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Develop a Portfolio  Portfolio or ePortfolio  Projects  Products  Reports & Articles

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Curriculum Vitae  Include Accomplishments and Impact.  Link to websites of work products.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Research for Position  Revise to address specifics of position you want  Use language of the organization in your letter and CV  Study and Practice as if a Final Exam

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Open Source Announcement - The University of Minnesota announced at a press conference on February 18, 2003 that its electronic portfolio is now part of an Open Source Portfolio Initiative. Details of the press conference are at

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Ask for Support  Asking is the hardest part, but it may surprise you how people respond favorably.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Ask for Support  Be very specific about what you are asking, as people are less likely to commit to something that isn't clearly defined.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Forming  Tell the potential board member that you are establishing a “ Personal Advisory Board.”

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Board Expectations  Share the reason you chose them to be part of this group, and the expectations you have in mind.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Remember  If they agree, tell them you'll let them know when and how your board will commence.  If they say no, thank them for their consideration and move on.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech NO?  Remember, just as in sales, don't take the NO personally.  They may be really interested in helping you, but are simply too busy right now.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech The Board Meeting  Meet with your Board individually or in a small groups, if possible.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech The Board Meeting  Be prepared  Stay on task – focus - focus  Succinctly pose problems, requests, questions or issues where you would like assistance

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech The Board Meeting  Ask for Advice  Actively… Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen!  Repeat Advice heard. (Never be defensive)

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech The Board Members  Their primary purpose is to assist or mentor you. Your primary job is to:  actively LISTEN and  Seek to UNDERSTAND.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Setting Up Your Board The Board Meeting brings all your advisors together for the specific purpose of guiding you in career decisions.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Setting Up Your Board  Come prepared each meeting with problems, requests, questions or issues you'd like help with, and ask every member to contribute to the discussions with potential solutions.  Establish action steps at the end of each meeting. 

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Setting Up Your Board  Keep the meetings short and productive  Do something at each meeting to show your appreciation (supply pizza or sandwiches).  When you meet again, be prepared to be accountable for the action steps you agreed to take and how they worked.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Peer Group Mentors : Act as Mentors for Each Other  This group functions in a similar way, but has a different purpose.  With this type of group, everyone who is involved gets the same benefit you do.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Peer Group Mentors  At each meeting, every participant brings one issue or problem they're facing and asks the rest of the group for their feedback and ideas.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Peer Group Mentors  Action steps are established, and accountability for those steps takes place at each meeting.  This type of group could meet electronically, over a lunch hour, and can be held once a month or even as often as weekly.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Peer Group Mentors  The benefit is that you get to network with other peers across states or organizations who assist you with your issues.  It also allows you the opportunity to offer your skills and perspective to someone else in a more mutual exchange.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech The On-Call Group  You could set up your advisory board in an on-call manner.  You ask the folks on your list if they would be willing to be part of a group you can call on when you have specific organizational issues.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech The On-Call Group  When a specific issue arises, you contact the most relevant Personal Board Members.  The key with this type of group is not to take advantage of the skills and knowledge that they use to make their living.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech The On-Call Group  Use them sparingly and only for issues that won't take a lot of their time.  This type of group has the benefit of not requiring a regular commitment, but may not be as effective as the accountability the other two types provides.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Principles  As the Chief Executive of your career, apply ethical principles when asking for career focus and support.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Tip 1: Choose Carefully a.Who are the mentors, coaches, professors, co- workers, friends, family, or former classmates who you value for their experience and perspective?

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Tip 1: Choose Carefully b.Your Board should be comprised of those who will champion you, but also be willing to tell you the straight truth.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Tip 2 : Set the vision a.With your personal Board of Advisors, define what you want to be held accountable for.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Tip 2 : Set the vision b.You also want to be clear on what kind of guidance you are looking for,  Such as Critical Feedback on New Ideas  Networking Connections  Suggestions for New Career Options

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Tip 2 : Set the vision c.Give the Board some direction so they can be most useful for your development.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Communicate Regularly a.Commit to informing your Board of recent activities, whether through an ed update or a face-to- face meeting with each member.

Pat Sobrero, Professor, Virginia Tech Communicate Regularly b.Regular contact will help you stay focused on your goals and keep you on the Board Member’s mind.

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