GWEN JOLLEY’S MENTORING ADVICE
In the May meeting of AWN, speaker Gwen Jolley, CIO of ChoicePoint, gave tips to both mentors and mentees. Following are some highlights.
How to choose and be a good mentor:
By mentoring people on lower levels in your organization, you help your mentees while keeping your finger on the pulse of the organization; you learn about difficult issues of which you might not otherwise learn.
In order to avoid letting the mentoring session become simply a gabfest, create a written contract with your mentees stating your specific goals and a timeframe for achieving them. That way, they have to stick to the plan in order to achieve their goals in a timely manner.
This is an opportunity for you to tell your mentees, ‘It’s going to be OK; you can be more than you are.’ You can be someone for them to talk to; someone to give hope and inspiration to them, because that’s really the whole idea behind mentorship.
If someone requests your help in mentoring for a topic which is not your strongest, feel free to refer the person who requested you, to someone who is excellent at that topic.
How to be a good mentee:
- Know what you would like to achieve; ask a trusted person what you are lacking, and find a mentor who is strong in those points. Perhaps you can negotiate well, but are poor at selling. You need to identify a mentor who is excellent at selling.
- Be worthy. Do the homework; meet the people your mentor recommends – do the hard things that are uncomfortable for you; they are the things you are lacking.
- Protect the confidentiality of your relationship with your mentor, not just what you are told but what you hear around you, because you may hear things that are unbelievably sensitive.
Clearly understand that this is a professional relationship; your mentor is not your new best friend. The purpose of mentoring is to get new ideas, clear your mind; think of what could be.
Closing Thoughts:
Identify possible relationships everywhere you go. Maintain communication with former colleagues so that you can call on them when you need mentoring, and you can refer them to others who may need mentoring.
Remember, we are all in this together. We think we are in an island; we are not. Be willing to help other people, and they will help you.
AWN thanks Gwen Jolley for sharing her expertise, her insights and her experiences with us. Thanks to Molly Darden, AWN's Internal Communications Director for writing this feature.
