How do you make your mentee's achievements visible?

I used to encourage mentees to focus solely on the data and numbers, which showed how their work was impacting others. But what I found was a disconnect. People didn't care about the numbers, they cared about the transformation. Instead, I started encouraging my mentees to write down experiences and transformative moments that stood out to them. As soon as they started integrating storytelling into their approach, people were drawn to them and more intrigued by their expertise. Storytelling is a powerful way for mentees to share their accomplishments, and it creates connection with those who are curious about their work. Don't just show the numbers, share the stories behind those numbers.

I agree. We are a species that often learn more from stories than data. It is not that data isn't important, but it isn't usually immediately as compelling as what it means. Telling their story in business settings is one of the most powerful things they can do, IF it is concise, IF it is relevant to the person they are telling, and IF they can tie it back to the attributes and experiences that make them unique. Particularly in employment situations, the company wants to know what makes them the solution to the problem. If a mentee is not telling the company they would like to join that very important piece of information on their resume or application, they are missing a critical opportunity and I encourage and facilitate its addition.

If you are a scientist, it is important to elevate the peer-reviewed articles that are published by people you mentor - even if you are not an author. This includes colleagues that you mentor, as well as actual students. Cite these papers, talk about these papers in blogs and speeches, and elevate the findings. After all, they are rigorous because you are the mentor ??.

I agree, and this can also be done in more subtle ways. It’s possible to just talk about the person you are mentoring positively to anyone and everyone. It can be as casual as “Person A has been doing an amazing job on Project X, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what they will do next”.

Creating a presence on social media, particularly LinkedIn, is an easy way to build thought leadership. I encourage all of my mentees to share their knowledge, expertise, and accomplishments on their social media pages so that they build a reputation for doing good work. They record video content so that people can get a sense of their personality, and they are intentional about writing thoughtful posts that relate back to their subject matter expertise. I remind them that people are more likely to trust them if they have a personal brand that is consistent and confident.

Most of my mentees are reluctant to post. I work with them to start first by making substantive comments on relevant posts. Then we work up to them posting (usually a relevant/topical article or blogpost is what feels most approachable for them). As they start getting engagement and feedback, they feel more comfortable. I also work with them to find something I can post about their work as an entry point for those that are very new to LinkedIn. They then can comment on my post and report it if they want.

I have tried to help mentees appear in larger arenas. Can a mentee serve on a panel? If you're writing something, can your mentee co-author or possibly even write instead of you? We all get these opportunities; keep an eye out for the right ones for someone you're working with.

One missed opportunity for mentees is to include their menteeship as part of their EXPERIENCE. Many seem reluctant to do this and yet it can highlight so many work characteristics/skills/experience when they describe what they achieved during their mentoring period. It also helps normalize that SO MANY professionals now use mentors - short or long term!!

There are 2 types of Achievement visibility 1) Visibility to self 2) Visibility to others. Both are important but the 1st can be a precursor to the 2nd. It's very important for the mentee's self-worth to believe that they are capable. Before they get praised by everyone else, they need to develop a sense of self-appreciation. If not, they will always look outward for appreciation when the first giant that they must feed is within. With that giant on their side they can conquer most mental obstacles. Make them believe at every small success that they are worth it! Once they learn to appreciate their own efforts then increase the visibility spectrum to 'their' world (the people whose appreciation they crave for) & then to the general world.

A traditional SWOT analysis helped one of my mentees build much needed confidence. One weakness was his presentation skills but when asked to present on a topic he had a personal rather than professional interest in, he was first class. Humour, clarity of diction, pace and content were all great, so the feedback reflected this. Another suggestion was to use his academic strength (a degree in physics) to help enhance his interpersonal skills. He became a mentor himself to students studying mathematics by helping them revise and understand the subject. A rewarding experience for more than just the mentee.