Mentorship: An Essential Service

Recently, a colleague asked me if he should reach out to one of his mentors. He was hesitant because he had lost touch with this person over the last several months, particularly because of the COVID-19 quarantine, and he was unsure if his outreach would be intrusive or too out of the blue. My response was emphatic — YES! Not only has the quarantine and work-from-home environment allowed for more reflection and mapping out personal/professional growth, but also, for some, the gift of time to reconnect with people and to keep up with personal and professional relationships. That conversation got me thinking more about mentorship — both my past mentors who helped me in my career and those whom I’ve guided along the way. To me, mentorship is and always has been a vital service.

Why is mentorship so important? 

I’ve seen firsthand a number of benefits that come with mentorship. These include:

• Sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences: Since we were young there have always been people (parents, teachers, coaches) who have been there to provide guidance. This shouldn’t stop after school.  
• Keeping sharp, up-to-date, and inquisitive: An ongoing dialogue stimulates creativity, facilitates brainstorming, and can be a forum for philosophising, leading to personal and professional growth.
• Seeing beyond initial challenges: Most often, people outside the minutiae can see the bigger picture, can help open up the view, and then provide focus on areas of improvement.
• Providing encouragement as well as discipline or “tough love”: Again, the parent and teacher relationship foundations from our youth are still important as adults. Mentors can serve that critical psychological, emotional, and pragmatic role.
• Serving as advisors and connectors: Mentors bring years of advice to the table but also a robust list of (LinkedIn) connections. Expanding your individual network can only expand your possibilities.

But the benefits apply not just to the mentee. Speaking to my mentors and as a mentor myself, the “paying forward” of what we learned and helping others is just as fulfilling. Moreover, the engagements and conversations — and thus, growth — go both ways. I personally get energized speaking with and listening to those I mentor. I learn something new every time.

Be A Mentor

From when my career started many years ago until now, I have benefited from receiving guidance from dozens of mentors. I found that the relationships expanded my point of view and I thrived on those network connections. Mentors taught me many lessons that made me look outside myself and, in doing so, become more self aware. I learned about perspective, navigating corporate politics, challenging myself, humility, fostering team buy-in, the value of lateral growth, setting goals and intentions, etc. Becoming a believer in mentorship also pushed me to give back. Even early on in my career, I’d gather my friends or peers for “group mentoring” or one-on-one conversations to work through our challenges and issues. Typically people short-change their own experiences or “what they bring to the table” — don’t! Your experiences, and your shared tips and tricks, are valuable gifts for others. So I encourage you to be a mentor.

You might be wondering, how do I even get started? There are tons of ways, but here are a few ideas:

• Mentorship can happen organically: It can start purely as a one-on-one discussion that evolves. A Harvard Business Review article perfectly stated, “put the relationship before the mentorship.” Keep an open mind (and open schedule) to those that approach you.
• Seek out formal mentoring: There are many groups that support professional development and are always offering programs connecting mentors and mentees. A great example of this is with the Illinois Technology Association (now part of 1871) Women of Influence Chicago Accelerator. In addition to providing professional programming, it connects aspiring female tech leaders with mentors. Another organization within fintech is WILD (Women in Listed Derivatives), which has an outstanding mentoring initiative that is vitally important in that industry.
• Ask your network: Throughout your career there are people that you naturally connect with, admire, and/or aspire to emulate. Ask them who they mentor and how they went about developing a mentorship. 

Find A Mentor

If you don’t have a mentor — find one. Seek out a formalized group, ask your peers what they do, or even just personally reach out to colleagues you admire. For all the reasons stated above, it will push your career forward, make you a better manager (at work and home), and can broaden your view of work, life, and the world. If you have one or many, continue to engage in those relationships. These connections will only continue to help you on your life journey.  And no matter how seasoned a professional you are, I encourage you to find new mentors as that will further expand your thinking and perspective. I read a recent piece from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University that said that great mentors offer more than expertise, but they pass along their “special sauce”. I think we can all benefit from something special.

Thanks for checking this out. Looking forward to sharing more on these learnings in subsequent Diary of a Fintech CMO entries and I welcome your thoughts.