What is mentorship?
Mentorship is an exchange between two people with different experience level where the person with more knowledge and connections can teach, advise and support the other on their life or career path. It is a relationship between two people: the mentor and the mentee. The mentor draws on her experience and skills to guide the mentee and help her progress while at the same time being benefitted in return by being able to build leadership skills and developing their abilities as a manager or as part of a team. The aim of mentorship is to develop continuous partnership that helps with professional and self-development.
Affiliation with a mentor can be a personal initiative, but it is also a concept proposed in business and education. It is an increasingly common practice to match an employee with a mentor from outside their organisation, in order to allow employees to gain information on how to develop their professional career within their company and sector and to encourage said employee to work towards the possibilities that are open to them. It is an ideal opportunity for them to gain new skills and perspectives on their career. It is also possible to match people in managerial or supervisory positions with those in lower positions in the same company and these partnership programmes help with internal sourcing in the future.
Related: The power of connection
How can mentorship help you?
In the course of a professional career, our needs change. Individuals are often wanting to continue in their procurement and development of skills and knowledge. Having the support of someone who has already had similar experiences as us can help us as we come across certain challenges to remain motivated and to use their knowhow in order to deal with obstacles in the most efficient way.
For example, a graduate who wants to begin their career in finance may want to connect with someone who has been down that road and who might now hold a leadership position in that industry. Through this partnership, the mentee will be able to understand the specific skills and attitudes needed to be successful in this industry. This will lead to improved job performance, exposure to new ways of thinking, not to mention, priceless advice on developing strengths and overcoming weaknesses.
The mentor is usually recognised as a leader and an expert on a subject or field. These individuals understand the value of extending their professional development, and invest their time on interaction with the mentee as ways to exposes them to new perspectives and approaches, while also being rewarded with the opportunity to reflect on their own personal goals and practices.
Through their expertise, mentors provide valuable advice and guidance to their mentees in order to steer them in the right direction and make the right decisions. This is normally done by helping the mentee define their goals and provides the motivation to achieve them.
Mentorship has many benefits for both of parties, as it is a reciprocal exchange where each member of the relationship has something to share. Mentoring should be seen as a relationship between the one who can help and the one who wants to succeed. In this way, it is a source of progress for both individuals.
The less experienced mentee develops new leadership skills and gains confidence from the mentor. In effect, the mentor helps you to take stock of your potential and abilities, so that you become aware of your value. This work consists of encouraging you to list your acquired skills and the resources you have to increase them. The mentor sees his or her skills and knowledge recognised and challenged by the mentee. It is also a source of inner fulfilment for the mentor. Each learns from the other.
It is not uncommon to see a phenomenon of reverse mentoring. The mentee, who is often younger, can teach their mentor to master new methods and approaches, giving the mentor a fresh look at certain practices, and have a different view of the trends in an industry. The mentee in turn becomes a mentor and helps their counterpart acquire new skills.
Mentorship is a win-win relationship!
Relationships between mentors and mentees
Mentors and mentees build their relationships on trust and mutual support. The mentor helps the mentee to have an external view on certain situations and acts in an impartial way. She listens carefully and helps to think of new solutions, motivating and encouraging the mentee to take action. They help the mentee to gain confidence and develop their abilities. Mentoring relationships are based on honesty, caring, development and growth.
Mentorship sessions can happen in different ways. Mentors and mentees meet at a time that suits both of them, via phone, Zoom, or in person. Small groups events such as morning coffees or lunches and networking calls can also be set up to encourage exchange between different members of their communities. Tools such as workbooks containing instructions and exercises are also available to mentees to help them progress.
Through programs such as Mentor Her, mentors and mentees can have a more structured relationship aided by tried and true material and workshops; and making their partnership more advantageous.
Do you need a mentor?
A mentor can help you to progress, when might seem difficult to succeed alone. Guidance can often be the key to success. It is a specific support for people who are looking for professional opportunities: positions of responsibility, creation or development of new businesses, but also in the approach towards their personal life.
The mentees’ profile can be varied, they can be employed and looking to elevate their careers by growing and learning more in their current position or by moving up the corporate ladder into management and leadership roles. Or maybe they are someone who is looking to rebalance their personal and professional lives, pursuing their careers and raising their families at the same time. But whether it is someone who is running a start-up or who already has several years of entrepreneurial experience, there is likely a mentor for you. A mentoring program and the choice of mentor should be tailored to meet individual needs.
If you want to know how the Mentor Her program works, check out this link.
