Alternative mentoring: An HRD key for a rapid changing work environment

Purpose – The changing nature of work dynamics demands that managers keep up to date in skills, knowledge, and competencies. Besides, nowadays these professionals need to understand the business beyond the frontiers of their own organizations. This phenomenon has led to new forms of alternative mentoring for managers and entrepreneurs, as companies battle for talent in a globalized way. Professional associations, consultancy firms, and other agents are starting to offer mentoring programs in which the mentor and mentee often belong to different organizations or take place within a group. Design/methodology/approach – The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual model for alternative mentoring for managers. This model is a new approach to mentoring, and it will try to clarify some of the bases of a phenomenon that is increasingly present in the managerial field. Findings – The paper also suggests some advantages of alternative mentoring when compared to traditional mentoring. Originality/value – This paper contributes to a better understanding of new forms of alternative mentoring while providing practitioners in the field with a better understanding of key issues for alternative mentoring.