The Role of a Mentor

No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care….

I recently caught up with our Metis Ireland ambassador and Irish Hockey star, Róisín Upton for a coffee to discuss her own career and future plans.

2024 was a big year for Irish Hockey as Róisín’s team prepared for Olympic qualification in Paris later this summer but unfortunately, they fell agonizingly short in the final qualification round. We spoke about a career in elite sport and about our respective journeys as we chased success on both the court and football pitch.

One of the most interesting aspects of our chat was around the role of the coach or mentor, and how this person can have an incredible impact on the individual’s journey as they chase their dreams.

Róisín spoke about the coach who has had the biggest impact on her story to date and she told me about David Passmore, an international hockey coach, who had worked with Róisín and her team in her early teens as she moved into elite level sport.

What makes a coach or a mentor special for a person and their team? We have all experienced managers across our lives, be it in a social setting with sports teams or through our professional life at work over the years. Personally, I have worked under some very good (and some not so good managers!) in my time playing sport over the last two decades and Róisín’s answer on why she valued David Passmore’s advice over many other managers she had worked with really struck a chord with me.

When you are looking to someone for guidance or support, in any field, the personal connection and relationship between the two is paramount to a successful ongoing partnership.

If you are fortunate enough to find yourself in a privileged position where someone is seeking your advice or expertise, the first stage of that relationship should always be based on understanding what help specifically it is the person is looking for.?

Take the time to get to know the person and their needs and aspirations and help them plan their way to success. The old saying “no one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” should always be the cornerstone of any mentorship role.?

We try to implement this in our role as financial planners for the families we are fortunate enough to advise at Metis Ireland. That personal connection, and truly understanding what drives the people you are trying to help should be the first step on the journey to a long and successful partnership…..