Mentoring Month: Mentor and Mentees Myths, Truths, and What To Do

How Can We Celebrate National Mentoring Month?

Some of you may know that January is #nationalmentoringmonth and there are a myriad of ways to get involved and participate. The biggest thing to remember is that it is important to take action. You will get a taste of some tips and tricks in this panel review article, some other concepts to think about are...

• Highlight mentoring success stories in your organization (share their story)
• Remind mentors and mentees to thank their counterparts (now and often)
• Refresher class on how to be a good mentor and mentee (reach out to Lattitude if you want a few more tips or a workshop)
• Share a list of questions to ask as a mentee or a mentor (these questions can change as the relationships mature)
• Hold a mentoring speed dating session where team members can meet in a group setting (preferably in person) to meet mentors
• Evaluate #mentoring programs and software platforms that can be used to streamline the process (often times mentorship programs are a "part time" job or responsibility)
• Touch on the history of mentoring and when it is most valuable throughout the employment lifecycle

The Panel:

Check out this live mentoring panel where we discussed the realities of mentorship. Our panel of experienced mentors shared their insights and dispelled some common misconceptions. We covered Truths, Myths, and What You Can Do as an Individual as an Organization to improve.

• Pete Schramm Lattitude Founder and CEO
• Dr. Keisha Benson Woods ReverseIT CEO and Reverse Mentorship SME
• Matthew Diabes, PhD Lattitude Chief Scientist and Innovation Officer
• Dawn Lazar-Fredella, MS, SPHR Broadridge Financial Director of Talent
• Nikki Blacksmith, Ph.D. Blackhawke Co-Founder and CEO
• Dalian Washington Option D CEO and Business Development
• Matt McHale , Lattitude CRO

Full event clip - https://www.dhirubhai.net/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7024006344940646400/

Discussion Topics

• The Importance of trust when building a mentor relationship
• How companies need to be intentional in using technology and developing a process for a mentoring program
• The lasting impact the right mentor can have
• Why reverse mentorship is crucial in today's work environment

Key Highlights

This video discusses the importance of mentorship and how it can be beneficial to both the mentor and mentee. It also discusses how companies can improve their mentorship programs by embracing it and making it available to all levels of employees.

• 00:00:00 ?This panel discusses the benefits of mentorship, and discusses different types of mentorship programs. They also share their experiences with mentoring and mentees.
• 00:05:00 ?Dalian Washington explains why mentoring is important to individuals in both the military and the civilian world, and it can be beneficial in many ways. One's first mentor can be very influential in one's life, and can help to shape one's career and direction.
• 00:10:00 ?Keisha Benson Woods describes how, as a young person, she benefited from having a mentor who was more experienced in their field. She also notes that, as a minority, she was often fearful of doing the wrong thing and this led to her being reclused, which hindered her career. Her mentor, a professor at a university, helped her to navigate her career and to feel more confident in her abilities.
• 00:15:00 ?Dawn Lazar-Fredella shares the story of how a high school teacher had a profound impact on their career path. He offers advice for aspiring mentors, emphasizing the importance of early stage mentorship.
• 00:19:27 ?Matt McHale shares about a video the demonstrates the impact our mentor can have on our path in life and even 30 years later how deep and emotional that bond can be, you can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omPdemwaNzQ
• 00:20:00 ?Pete Schramm discusses the importance of mentoring, myths, truths, and how to go about finding the right mentor. It also discusses the benefits of reverse mentoring.
• 00:25:00 ?The panel discusses the importance of mentorship and how it can be beneficial to both the mentor and mentee. It also discusses how companies can improve their mentorship programs by embracing it and making it available to all levels of employees.
• 00:30:00 ?Matt Diabes and the panel discuss the importance of building a mentorship program and how to do so effectively. It discusses the challenges that mentors may face and how to overcome them. It also discusses the importance of intentional use of mentorship programs and how to find the right mentors.
• 00:35:00 ?Dr. Nikki Blacksmith discuss how mentoring month is a time to celebrate and reflect on what has been accomplished. Latitude, a company that offers structured mentorship, discusses the importance of trust and psychological safety in a mentee-mentor relationship.
• 00:40:00 ?Mentoring is important for both the mentor and mentee, as each has prior experiences that can hinder trust. It is important to be aware of these prior experiences, and to work through them during the mentorship process.
• 00:45:00 ?The panel discusses some of the myths and truths about mentorship, and how to create a successful environment for mentorship. They provide examples of how people can become mentors, and how leaders can create a supportive mentorship culture. Finally, the speaker reminds the audience of a Ricky Gervais movie clip in which a character says that a society grows great when old men plant trees when they know the shade of which they will never sit in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZpaA63g30
• 00:50:00 ?The panel discusses the importance of having a personal Board of Advisors, which is a concept that has been talked about for 100 years but has not been fully implemented yet. The latitude team created a starting point for individuals on their journey of developing mentorship skills.
• 00:55:00 ?The panel discusses the importance of having a mentor and coaching system in place, and how to find the right people to help you. It also discusses the importance of trust and respect when building these systems. Finally, the presenter thanks the panel and the audience for their time.

When we ask #chatgpt for some feedback on the topic...

Ask: "can you please share ten tips that companies can implement as part of their national mentoring month routine. the tips can be for employees at companies with large distributed workforces and the tips can revolve around educational tips and best practices and the history of mentorship and more"

Response:

1. Encourage pairings between experienced and less experienced employees, regardless of their location.
2. Offer training sessions for both mentors and mentees on the benefits and best practices of mentorship.
3. Foster open communication by providing regular check-ins and feedback sessions between mentors and mentees.
4. Provide resources and tools for remote mentoring, such as virtual meeting platforms.
5. Celebrate and recognize the successes of mentorship relationships.
6. Encourage mentors to share their own career journeys and experiences.
7. Provide opportunities for mentees to network and connect with other professionals in their field.
8. Offer workshops and training on diverse perspectives and inclusive practices to promote diversity in mentorship.
9. Share the history and importance of mentorship, such as highlighting influential mentor-mentee relationships in your industry.
10. Evaluate the success of mentorship programs and gather feedback from participants to continuously improve the experience.