The role and impact of mentors may vary, but the generally accepted business practice is that people need a mentor. It’s time to challenge that wisdom.

The roots of mentoring came from a different era when career paths were mostly linear. Getting career advice from a sage veteran who has successfully navigated that career path made sense, as most employees sought a similar vertical path.

Today’s careers are a bit more jagged, a phrase coined by George Anders in his book The Rare Find. Career development is more of a lattice than a ladder, with employees moving vertically and laterally across organizations to gain more experience and develop their skills as well as progress their careers.

The nature of what it means to “work” is also evolving. The rise of the gig economy is well documented. By 2027 half the U.S. population will be freelancers. This is a seismic shift in the very construct of work itself and requires a different type of thinking when considering your career development.

Read more at FastCompany.com.