A reflection on the mentoring process

Mentoring during lockdown

I am a big fan of mentoring. There is a huge responsibility being a mentor, I want to do it properly, I want to add value and I remember all those who helped me out and the impact they had on my career.

As individuals and as professionals, we have competencies, knowledge (what we know) and skills (how we perform) which enable us to complete our duties and take responsibility for our roles, therefore, what is mentoring for? For me, it is one part of a bunch of things in my continuous learning journey, both as a mentor and also a mentee, but the best description I see is a form of wise counsel.?

I remember early on in my career struggling with this, surely I just need to pass my exams and then everything will be great! Passing exams is really important, however, someone used a football analogy (I know sorry) you can be the best winger, be world-class at crossing the ball and taking the best free-kick etc (Pension exam) but if the manager puts you in as the goalkeeper (you've passed administration exams but your boss has asked you to produce an actuarial valuation) then all the effectiveness of those competencies are lost.

Mentoring is passing on good judgement with an effective decision-making process based on the experience of those who have gone before. It isn’t a coach or a teacher, they are important but form part of the bigger picture.?

?I have been involved with the PMI for many years. I like what the organisation does, what it stands for and its members, the regional groups, the training and conferences. I would encourage anyone in the Pensions world to join, it is a strength is in the commitment of its members, hence, why when the opportunity to get involved with mentoring I jumped at the chance. I joined a list of those available for mentoring which is then made available to members who wish to be mentored and I was matched up with Jas.?

The matching was perfect, I have always found mentoring works better if you're not in the exact same discipline e.g. operations or legal. And that you are a rank above where the individual would like to be. I find if you don’t bring day-to-day baggage with you, your discussions are more to the point.?

Once matched up it is important to test the water to see if the chemistry is right, this should not be taken for granted and if not right (no one's fault) better to stop there and then. Once established you both need to set boundaries, dates, and times and discuss and agree on ideal outcomes.?

I like the wisdom and the ideas in books. I find reading lists exceptionally helpful (just to clarify not the academic 20 books for an essay) but more the practical application.

From Jas

To be completely honest, I’d never considered becoming a mentee, until a colleague suggested it. I’m experienced in some aspects of pensions but being an In-house Pensions Manager can feel pretty silo and sometimes overwhelming with the amount of activity you have to deal with, with little or no support. I’m a motivated and driven individual but was having trouble seeing how to develop my career path (because let’s face it we all have career aspirations and some of us need a gentle steer on how to get there).

When I sat down and actually thought about what I wanted to achieve by joining this program, these were my top three wants:

1. Explore new approaches and techniques (influencing and relationship management)
2. Upcoming projects (things that I’d never worked on before)
3. My future goals and career aspirations (where do I go/what do I do next?!)

It’s so important to find the best fit for you! When I first applied to be a part of this program, I was matched up with someone who was early on in their pensions career. When I explored their LinkedIn profile and set up an intro meeting, it became evident to me that this wasn’t the mentor I had envisaged as they had Zero experience in the areas that I required or was seeking development in. During our initial meeting we both agreed that we were not suited, so don’t be afraid to speak freely about the expectations you have or the outcomes you wish to achieve out of the mentoring/mentee relationship.

Eureka moment! I got matched up with Paul, someone who has worked in so many different areas within pensions and has a wealth of experience to share. After our first intro meeting, he told me to go away and think about whether we are a good fit and if I wanted to continue with sessions moving forward – I didn’t need to think about it, I just knew! For me personally, it’s so important to be comfortable speaking to your mentor.

A perfect mix. He set a discipline to our sessions from the outset. Our sessions are varied and can comprise short exercises to help me visualise and stretch my thinking; Pauls's top four reads are:

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
2. 100-year Life by Lynda Gratton
3. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
4. From Good to Great by Jim Collins

(and how much of these I’ve read!!) as well as talking me through some of his experiences and how these can be applied to the scenarios I’m facing and sometimes we just talk out the things I’ve accomplished since our last session.

After just three sessions I can feel the benefits of this program! If you can match yourself with the right Mentor the rewards can be very promising!