Inevitably, all of us, throughout our careers will be in a position where we require guidance on the next step or how to handle a challenging conversation. Therefore, a good ‘sounding board’ or ‘brainstorming partner’ is a formidable tool. This is even more true when considering the changing landscape of the working population and environment. As people work longer and more people have access to opportunity thanks to diverse hiring policies, interpersonal challenges and miscommunication are more likely to arise due to a wider variety of viewpoints, motivators and values. By bridging the gap across generations, cultures and genders through informal knowledge transfer and sharing of advice we can create a more empathetic workforce. This is where mentorship comes into play not only as a tool for career development but also for culture.

‍

ISC members Olivia Cooper, Head of Enterprise Operations, and Jen Denby, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion (both WTW) have had a mentor/mentee relationship for the last three years and spoke to us about the numerous benefits both have seen from the relationship.

‍

Often, a lack of confidence and support are seen as barriers to women seeking out opportunities and advancing in their careers. Jen highlighted how Olivia empowered her to have more confidence in her abilities and that their conversations gave her space to access ‘personalised support that makes you not feel alone’ showing that mentorship could have an immediate impact on the advancement of women in the workplace. Olivia, as the mentor, enjoyed the opportunity to ‘give something back in offering support and guidance around “what’s next?” for the talent in our organisation’. The pair agreed that a key success factor to their relationship was the trust that had been built over time and the importance of psychological safety to seek out a mentor.  

‍

The reference to psychological safety points to an organisation’s culture and whether colleagues feel comfortable seeking additional help and guidance. An article from Forbes highlighted that access to mentorship was an issue with 76% of respondents believing mentors are important, but only 37% having one [1]. This was echoed by Olivia and Jen who acknowledged that there was potentially a lack of awareness around when was the right time to a seek a mentor, with Jen saying ‘whatever stage, whatever industry you're in, whether you're early career, more mature, there's times where you just need that person that you can trust that you can just call upon to talk about different scenarios and get advice.’ However, both stressed there was not a need for formal programmes, but that managers and leaders should be looking to coach and mentor those around them to instil a culture of shared learning and support.  

‍

There is a responsibility and need for commitment from both parties when entering into a mentoring dynamic to ensure the success of the relationship which could be considered a barrier to some from offering their services as a mentor. Therefore, it’s important to highlight the reasons why someone might want to be a mentor. Olivia’s main source of pleasure from the relationship was ‘the joy in seeing the progression. You [the mentor] feel a sense of pride to know that your guidance is resonating, that it's helpful and seeing [someone] flourish and develop, that's so rewarding.’ Through sharing the success of others and uplifting those around us, colleagues can benefit from a greater sense of purpose and accomplishment alongside the successes of their own career journeys.

‍

Moreover, as a leader at WTW, Olivia used her experiences from mentoring various people to positive effect from an organisational level, saying ‘you are able to use information to help shape things that are happening in the company through your insight, which is extremely beneficial. It helps keep your finger on the pulse of what's going on.’ As a colleague, Jen’s insights regarding how mentoring can impact culture echoed the level of importance Olivia placed on it, saying, ‘it comes back to feeling that you belong in an organisation that will support and allow you to have time for these really valuable conversations.’  

‍

‘Belonging’ is the latest addition to the diversity, equality and inclusion acronym (making it DEIB). Experts now believe that the best measurement of success for true inclusion is a resulting sense of belonging. In the context of the challenge facing many organisations to retain diverse talent and the increased pressure from regulators on businesses to commit to serious, long-term inclusion initiatives, mentorship whether that be in its traditional form, peer or reverse mentoring becomes a core part of employee retention. Through connecting aspiring talent with a guiding hand, organisations have an opportunity to instil a greater sense of belonging and truly inspire inclusion.  

‍

‍

‍

[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2019/07/03/new-study-76-of-people-think-mentors-are-important-but-only-37-have-one/?sh=1ab8fd9e4329