Giving Back & Going Forward

How’s that Steve Winwood song go? “While you see a chance take it…”

Last year I saw a great opportunity to give back. My company was starting a few professional development and recognition programs and one of them was on mentorship. Having been a mentor with the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), I knew first-hand the value of mentorship. So, I volunteered to Co-Chair and help build out the Harmony Mentorship program with a team of my colleagues.?

This would be the first mentorship program for the company, and our planning committee was building the program while also planning to take part in it.?

I like building out programs and capabilities. It’s something I’ve done successfully across my career, so I understood the task at hand. Sharing an early vision with the team of what we needed to create and deliver was essential, along with getting senior leadership buy-in. Then breaking that vision down into a program scope with a timeline and deliverables got us underway.

Once the program structure was determined and approved, the team built out a program with the guidance of our two executive sponsors over several months. This included creating communications and materials to explain, promote and execute the program. It was a significant effort but gratifying to see what we created.

We launched the program in the fall, and it ran for nine months with a few progress updates along the way. Mentees shared how their mentoring experience was going and how it was helping them progress towards their development goals. Some colleagues moved into new and expanded roles during this time, which was also great to see.

An in-person closing was planned but then needed to pivot to an online program. But how to maintain that personal mentorship connection and not have it be another Zoom meeting with over 20 people? Now, I got to use my communications experience as a TV writer/producer/director to create a live virtual event.?

I developed a script to make sure everyone was included and videotaped a few employees who couldn’t join the live program. With the help of colleagues and the production team, we put together a wonderful event. The Class of 2022 received their certificates of completion.

Both mentors and mentees shared that our pilot mentorship program far exceeded their expectations. Being really involved in leading and creating this program, it was so nice to hear.?

“I now have a lasting friend in my mentor.”

“I really looked forward to our mentorship discussions.”

“It didn’t feel like a first-year program, really well done.”

“We’ll keep the dialogue and the relationship going.”

I was really moved by the awesome feedback and knew that the committee created something special and of quality to build upon moving forward.

That’s a rewarding feeling.

Lessons Learned:?

1.??????I work for a company with a great culture, one that supports employee development.

2.??????One of the benefits of working for a smaller organization is that you have opportunities to contribute in ways that may not be possible in larger companies.

3.??????Volunteering offers you a chance to work with people you otherwise may not have the opportunity to interact with, and it’s a great learning experience.?

4.??????You can share skills and experience in volunteer roles that you may not use in your current role.

5.??????No matter where you are in your career, you can always benefit from mentoring.

?Thanks to @Harmony_Biosciences for supporting our “Investing in You” initiatives, including the Executive Mentorship Program.

#Leadership #Mentoring #GivingBack #Volunteering #ProfessionalDevelopment #Mentors #Mentees #LifeLessons #Relationships #HarmonyBiosciences