Mentors That Matter

Upfront let me state that this post is personal. My primary goal is to thank those individuals who have had a significant impact on my career to date. This is at a time when I find myself reflecting on my achievements and successes.

In late Jan 2020 I will pass a birthday milestone. Unsurprisingly, quite a lot of thoughts have been bouncing around my head. “How did that happen?”; “How did I get this far?”; “Why do I still feel 30?”; “Why do police/teachers/doctors/nurses look so young?”; “Who else is 50?”.  

In reality, nothing special for the world at large, but a small something to celebrate, and ponder, in the Falconer family.

My main thought is how did I get to this point without collapsing in a heap? Well, for my private life, it has been through the love, companionship and support of my family and friends. No surprises there. Through the good and the bad. The happy and the sad. Without them, nothing. 

In terms of my career and professional life the answer lies with mentors; of which I have a many and a few specifically to thank. 

So, I write this with the view of thanking those significant few for the support they have provided throughout my career. But I also I write in response to the last 6 months when I have been asked, a number of times, “what should one look for in a mentor?”. It seems that there is an ongoing search amongst my network for that person, or those people, who can bring a level of guidance that can help transform a career. It is the guidance that only a good mentor can provide. And yet there seems to be collective angst about how one should go about selecting a mentor. Where does one even start?

To help those that have asked, and maybe others in the wider community, I thought it might be worth reflecting on what has worked for me.

In the first instance it’s worth considering a few key points from my experience. 

Firstly, I have never actively asked someone “Can you be my mentor?”. In reality my mentors have crept up on me (so to speak). By that I mean, having worked with someone for a while I have subsequently come to the realization, after the fact, that this is a person I look up to; someone I respect and trust; whose opinion I want to listen to. 

Secondly, and in a similar vein, I doubt any of my so-called mentors go around telling their friends “I’m a mentor to Ed”. It’s not something we have ever discussed. It has never been stated. Interestingly, and notably, I am now about to change this for a few key people in the narrative below. Apologies for any embarrassment this may cause.

In truth the answer to the question: “What should one look for?” is personal. One should consider one’s own specific needs. Each of us will have different criteria, specific skill requirements and personality traits that we want from our mentors. At a high level, for me at least, it’s about finding someone I can work with, be open with and seek guidance from, with confidence. It’s about working with someone I think has something relevant to say and who has the experience, the scars, to back it up. Experiences and thoughts that are translatable to my own career and situation. 

Despite being of a personal nature, and for the sake of this exercise, I have reflected on the mentors that I have “collected” over the years and tried to define what unites them in my eyes. I now realise that, while each has a very different overall personality, they share some key characteristics that subconsciously resonate with me. These are the characteristics that are important to me. These characteristics represent the profile of, not only the type of person I want as a mentor, but more generally, the kind of person I like to work with on a daily basis.

With that in mind, my personal requirements for a good mentor are as follows:

• They are exceptionally talented – They are known for being brilliant and they inspire those they work with. They inspire me to be better and do better work. They make me want to collaborate with them and through the collaboration I know my work will benefit. They are intellectually stimulating and, as intelligent thinkers, they are capable of creating new ideas and perspectives that move beyond the standard buzzwords and currently trending topics.
• They have a broad experience – across industries, across businesses, across borders. I want them to bring perspectives and stories that extend beyond my knowledge and experience. I want them to share learnings and knowledge that can be transferred to my situation. Their broad experiences and associated stories are enticing, enriching and captivating to me and help me feel intellectual growth.
• They understand my world. We all work in complex fields. I specialise in creating value from customer and business data; I use this data to help make better decisions that improve business performance. I want my mentors to understand this space and offer tangible advice, ideally tapping into their broader experience. I want them to move beyond generic statements such as “you need to move faster” or “be bolder”. I want their support in the form of practical understanding and experience that help me navigate my space.
• They are joyful. Important. They know how to have fun. I want my workday filled with humour and laughter. This is essential to my wellbeing and ability to thrive.  A good mentor, for me, should laugh a lot, often at the expense of themselves, and breathe life into a room that might otherwise be sucked dry of any positive atmosphere. In truth I find it difficult to fully engage with those who seem bereft of humour and, perhaps, take themselves too seriously. I need my mentors to be naturally good humoured, focused on the positive and able to work and smile simultaneously.

Four requirements. A personal list. Maybe some of the criteria resonate with you. You should come up with your own list, and then select your mentors accordingly. I think it will come naturally.  

As promised, I want to call out some of my mentors who epitomise these characteristics. Directly and indirectly they have helped shape my career with their words and actions. Here, I want to publicly recognise and thank them:

Oliver Rees: A data evangelist and entrepreneur. Olly advocated the power of data in business and marketing years before it jumped the shark into the “Big Book of Buzzwords”. His enthusiasm, expertise, energy and humour always make him stand out in the crowd. Olly has the knack of making me feel like I am on the right track. His opinion matters.

Kathy Battle-Schulz: The ideal business partner. Kathy and I shared an office for 2 years when we worked in New York. As an office buddy we had a lot of fun, but more importantly my ideas were always exponentially improved upon as a result of Kathy’s input and feedback. Data driven marketing and customer engagement – Kathy always makes it look effortless and simple – it’s not. Very direct, and not afraid to call it as it is, Kathy is able to cut through the crap, explain the issues clearly and get things done.

Roxanne Ong: A creative and data genius. One of the few people I have met who is genuinely able to use both the left and right side of the brain. Immensely talented and wicked smart, Roxanne excels at transforming the most mundane work into something outstanding. She has the natural inclination to encourage and collaborate. And being unselfish and generous with her praise and acknowledgment of the contribution of others, she has the habit of making team members, myself included, feel like high achievers. She is a perfectionist who won’t settle for good.

Dave Pountney: The future of digital. I have no doubt Dave will go onto establish himself as one of the preeminent leaders in the Australian digital and data industry. He is perhaps already there.  High energy and super smart he leads the way, creates new paths and charms (with real charisma) everyone he meets. An hour with Dave is an hour well spent – socially and intellectually.  He is a joy to work and be with. (On a sidenote: I interviewed Dave in Heathrow Airport when he was first looking to move to Australia. I very nearly didn’t offer him the role. For reasons that were short sighted. That would have been a massive mistake. He is now a partner at McKinsey).

Bernie Brookes – Expert retailer. Bernie recruited me into Myer back in 2009 and it was quickly evident that he was modern thinker who recognised the value of the data sitting in the loyalty program. He wanted to extract that value. As a CEO, and leader, he was very much a people person, dedicated to his team and with, at times, a dark sense of humour.  He would announce “another lamb to the slaughter” when it came time to reviewing another departmental budget request. And being data driven, any budget request not backed up by customer insights to underpin the thinking was likely rejected. He made MYER One and its data a core part of Myer’s IPO and the way of doing business. Additionally, he also recognised his strengths and those of his team: he once said to me, “I can’t teach you much about data and segmentation, but I can teach you how to use your skills to be an executive at Myer”.  

Five mentors with differing personalities - united with the common thread of exceptional talent, a broad scope of experience, understanding of my craft and, importantly, a fantastic sense of humour. These are the people I likely think of when I have a problem to mull over – “what would Olly / Kathy / Rox / Dave / Bernie do?”.  Two are on speed dial when I really need help.

I don’t speak to them all daily. In truth, a few I haven’t seen in years. It is also true that we haven’t always seen eye to eye. There have been arguments and disagreements along the way. Irrespective, I hold them all in the highest of regard. They always energise me and guide me in ways a mentor should, and I hope your mentors do or will. 

So, there you have it. My thoughts on what makes a good mentor. I repeat, if nothing else comes from this post other than affording me the opportunity to acknowledge those mentors who have influenced my career more than most, then good.

If, on the other hand, this post goes some way to helping those of you who have asked “what makes a good mentor”, then all the better. And maybe, like me, you will realise that the mentors you seek are already close by, working or interacting with you every day.

But best of all, if you get a chance to work with any of the mentors I have acknowledged, then I recommend that you take the opportunity.  You will only gain from the experience. And I guarantee you will have a lot of fun in the process.

Now where’s my birthday cake?