48 - From Ancient Greece to Contemporary Success: The Unstoppable Rise of Mentorship

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.