Are you looking to progress your career? Do you want to learn something new? Do you want to meet key people? A mentor could help you.
I’ve been mentored by people for most of my career - though I didn’t necessarily know it at the time. It’s only by looking back on my career that I can see how many really experienced people helped me along my way.
How mentors have helped me
Learning to negotiate with experts who aren’t interested in your area of expertise: When I took on the role of web editor for Birkbeck, University of London - the first content specialist to work on the site - one of my mentors was the webmaster (yes that was his job title!). Adrian, who had been in charge of the website for 3 years, took me along to his meetings, introduced me to the right people and gave me inside knowledge on how to negotiate with some of the trickiest stakeholders I’ve ever met, who simply weren't that interested in my skillset. Adrian's support meant that I started my new role on the front foot, working alongside a kind and generous colleague who was in my corner - and who helped me find my feet.
Learning the importance and power of partnership working: When a colleague of mine and I simply couldn’t agree on a solution to work problems, my manager, Tricia, sent us for mediation. Because, as she said to us, getting on with work isn’t about being right. It’s about getting the best outcome. And working together in partnership will deliver this better than working on your own. I have been grateful for this ever since. Not only did the mediation session transform my working relationship with my colleague, but - thanks to Tricia - it also taught me about the importance of truly seeing and caring for the people you work with.
Upskilling as a presenter: When a department meeting I led early in my career at Birkbeck, University of London went disastrously wrong, Roger, an academic, decided I needed to improve my presentation skills. So he invited me to talk to his class of undergraduate computing students as a ‘guest lecturer’. In my first class, 50% of the students (all working full-time and studying part-time in the evenings) fell asleep! So Roger gave me feedback on what I could do better. And then the following year, he invited me back again. And the following year, he did it again. Then, when he retired, he recommended me to his successor - and I continued my role as one of the course’s annual guest lectures. In all, I did 14 annual lectures - and, now, nobody falls asleep during my presentations.
Representing union members: When I first became a Unison rep, I had no experience of union activism. And I had no idea how I was meant to talk to members of HR and management, let alone the membership. Luckily for me, my branch chair was another Jane, an experienced activist - and she took me in hand. By the time I left the union, I had become the lead negotiator for my union branch on all the big stuff (restructuring, pay negotiations, redundancy, job evaluation, etc.) as well as chair of members’ meetings (which could get pretty heated). And, like other Jane, I mentored new activists - so the cycle could continue.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring describes a relationship where someone who is more experienced helps and supports someone who is less experienced to do or learn something. The person mentoring you can be your manager, or it can be someone else entirely, depending on your particular situation and needs.
Here’s just some ideas where mentors can help you:
Get a career boost: as mentors, we can help you see where you want to go and how to get there
Skills upgrade: we can help you learn new things and get better at what you already know
Confidence boost: we can champion you and help you feel good about yourself
Networking magic: we can introduce you to relevant people who can help you
Mentoring can look different depending on all kinds of factors. But here are a couple of models that I am familiar with.
Formal mentoring at your organisation
You may work for an organisation that has a formal mentoring programme in place. When I worked for the Government Digital Service, for example, I was delighted to find that a formal programme existed - and that it was initiated and developed by members of the GDS women’s network, who understood the value of mentoring for members of the network.
Each mentor and mentee agreed between them how often they met, for how long and what they wanted to achieve through the process.
Informal mentoring
If you don’t have access to a formal mentoring programme, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a mentor. Think about what you are interested in and then look around to see who might have relevant experience / knowledge / contacts. And then - yes - just ask them if they’d be willing to mentor you. They might say no - but they might not! And even if they can’t mentor you at the moment, they might be able to recommend someone else who can.
At GDS, I decided I didn’t need to join the formal mentoring programme. But I needed to understand the politics and power relationships. So I simply asked a member of the senior management team if she could mentor me. I was very clear on what I wanted to achieve - and I was delighted when she said yes. In total, I think I met with her 4 times - but that was enough to give me the information I needed.
So what are you waiting for? Isn’t it time you got a mentor?
About me
I am a coach, mentor, trainer and workshop facilitator. I aim to help people to stop being passive and to take active control of their lives. I am particularly interested in supporting:
content designers
new leaders who have moved from an operational role into a more strategic space
union activists
Get in touch if you would like an obligation-free conversation about how we can work together.
Comments