48 - From Ancient Greece to Contemporary Success: The Unstoppable Rise of Mentorship
Manage episode 440977704 series 2835586
Today the panel will be talking about traditional mentorship and how it looks different across communities and contexts; the rise of reverse mentorship and its importance in intergenerational workforces; how to measure the success of mentor/mentee relationships and the common mistakes to look out for; and how to avoid the trap of seeking a mentor for the sake of it.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[01.40] Introductions to our Blended panellists.
· Dillon – Senior Consultant - People Consulting at EY
· Sandi – Owner/Lead Reconciliation Trainer/Consultant at Mishkwe Enterprises
· Sarah – Leadership Coach/Program Manager at Joyful Catholic Living LLC
· Jill – Material Program Manager at Raytheon
[06.32] The group discuss traditional mentorship: what it means, what it can look like, and why it’s so important.
“A traditional mentorship relationship would be pairing a senior person, who has a wealth of expertise in certain areas, with someone who’s junior or trying to make their way up the ranks and get that knowledge transfer.” Dillon
· Formal programs within a business
· Informal relationships
· Individuals connecting on a platform like LinkedIn, etc
· How mentorship changes during the course of your career
· How receptive you are to listening vs how willing people are to talk to you
· Influence/looking up to someone
· How mentorship looks different in different contexts
· Community
· Indigenous peoples:
o Intergenerational trauma
o Traditional mentorship community structure
o Finding your path
o Affinity with mentors/mentees
o Impact of removal of mentorship on community
o Internalized oppression
“For traditional indigenous communities’ mentorship was a given. And with residential schools, mentorship was lost and destroyed.” Sandi
· Personal and professional exploration
· Flattening of traditional career trajectories – moving horizontally, not just vertically
· Mentorship is not just about careers
· Understanding the ‘code of conduct’ of the environment you’re stepping into, so you’re more likely to be successful
· How culture changes what a mentor/mentee relationship looks like
· Responsibilities of mentors and mentees
· Mutual respect
· Impact of the pandemic
· Remote mentors
· Matchmaking
· Impact of personal life on work life
· Natural chemistry of choosing mentors from your own culture/identity
· Cross-cultural mentors
o Challenging yourself
o Identifying bias
“It allows for exploration; you can find your tribe… For underrepresented groups, there’s often a feeling of isolation within corporate environments, and mentorship breaks down that feeling… it makes people feel seen and protected.” Dillon
[42.18] The panel discuss how we measure the success of mentor/mentee relationships and share some of the common pitfalls or common mistakes to look out for.
“Define success before you even take one step! I can think of so many mentor/mentee relationships where the emphasis has been on the sharing of the information, not on what they do with it.” Sandi
· Time it takes for results to be realized
· Who is successful, why, what can you learn?
· Move away from judgement
· Observing the skills, habits and traits that work
· Avoid putting all focus on just finding a mentor
· Difference between coaching and mentoring
· Setting expectations
· Importance of common values
· Organic evolution of relationships
[52.00] The group explore the rapidly growing trend of reverse mentorship: how it works, how it’s different to traditional mentorship, and why it’s key for organizations to support and embrace both forms.
· Dillon’s own experience of reverse mentorship, and an insight into the program at EY
· Listen, learn, ask questions, challenge back
· Wisdom from different generations
· Building trust
· Respect
· Intent
“Humility builds bridges; egos burn them.” Sandi
[01.09.38] The panel discuss what we can learn from their discussion and share key takeaways.
“Believe in your own superpowers and see how that can be complemented by a potential mentor or mentee.” Dillon
· Patience
· Power of social media
· Work on your confidence
· Do the research
· Don’t put people on a pedestal
· Be prepared
· Honesty
· Creating safe spaces
· Empathy and humanity
· Structure and boundaries
· Transparency
· Discovering mentorship all around you, in different places
“Be very clear about ‘what is it I’m trying to learn?’ and ‘which ways am I trying to grow?’ … So, by the time you meet your mentor, it’s very clear you respect their time.” Sarah
[01.22.24] The group reflect on the pressure to find a mentor, and their key takeaways for individuals trying to tackle that pressure.
“My view of mentorship has evolved… Over time, I went from ‘I need to find a mentor’ to ‘I need to take control of my life and career.’” Sarah
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
You can connect with Dillon, Sandi, Jill and Sarah over on LinkedIn.
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