Build future leaders with mentors and mentoring for women
Because the pandemic has changed workplaces and work roles in sometimes dramatic fashion – especially for female employees – it’s more important than ever to emphasize mentorship in our virtually connected world.
Women’s History Month is the perfect time to call both female mentors and mentees to the table: Women in positions of leadership need to develop mentoring relationships with their female colleagues, and those who want mentorship must speak up. It’s a two-way street of responsibility, and this is the month to start.
It’s especially critical in the wake of the pandemic. Nearly half of all women say the pandemic has negatively impacted their career paths, according to a September 2021 survey of 2,000 U.S. workers. One in five says she’s had to leave the workforce completely. While most plan to return, they’re looking for flexibility and advancement opportunities, and 56% are thinking about a career change.
Mentoring is the perfect tool for this new environment. It helps develop the next generation of leaders by letting early- and mid-career employees learn from the wins and mistakes of an experienced leader. Sadly, a global study showed 63% of women never had a formal mentor even though 67% rate it as highly important in helping to advance their careers.
I implore female leaders to reach out to their up-and-coming sisterhood and start having those conversations.
Early in my career, I never really thought about mentorship; it was just about working hard to learn and advance. But, as I look back, I realize I’ve been fortunate to have very strong female mentors who guided me and sometimes opened doors that might otherwise have stayed closed.
The weight of responsibility we have toward each other only became clear when I ascended to a certain level of leadership. Young women didn’t just congratulate me; they said, “We’re excited to see there’s a woman at the table.” Female leaders do indeed have a responsibility to encourage and help other women succeed.
My mentors not only lifted me up, but they also provided constructive feedback that I’m not sure I would have received outside a mentoring relationship. It’s not always easy to hear – I’m still working on that patience in the workplace thing – but these veteran women were honest and wanted me to succeed.
I get as much benefit out of mentoring as I did from receiving advice and recently was warmed watching the cycle of life play out before me. A colleague found herself where I once did – needing more flexibility than corporate America offered but anxious about striking out on her own. I was able to impart advice I’d sought 15-some years ago and the reassurance that, at worst, it doesn’t work out and you find another job.
Some Fortune 500 companies have the resources to offer extensive mentorship training and programs. A small firm like Bravo Group has to approach it a little differently. We identify opportunities for leadership coaching, assign new employees mentors and encourage senior staff to lend their perspectives to younger colleagues. While we approach mentoring informally, we make sure there are formal development plans in place and help staff members identify a mentor when they express interest. What’s important is that the experience is authentic and intentional. My strongest mentors came not through a formal program; they were just there for me, and that inspires me to pass along that gift.
In honor of Women’s History Month, I implore female leaders to reach out to their up-and-coming sisterhood and start having those conversations. And, new and mid-career employees, resolve that you’re going to avail yourself of this invaluable resource now and build those mentoring relationships. Be a part of forming the highlights of the next Women’s History Month.
