Fifth Annual Mentorship Best Practices Panel
FountainBlue's November 17 When She Speaks program was on the topic of 'Fifth Annual Mentorship Best Practices'. Please join me in thanking our esteemed panelists.
Facilitator Linda Holroyd, CEO, FountainBlue
Mentors:
Gil Cruz, Senior Director, Business Development, Customer Experience Americas Service Provider, Cisco
Kristi Gay, Engineering Training & Education Sr. Manager, Coupa Software
Dana Gharda, Head of University Talent Engagement, US, ASML
Vicky Watson, Senior Manager Production Control, Lam Research
Mentees:
Harshita Jayakar, Senior Technical Program Manager, Lam Research
Tiffany Pham, Senior Business Architect, Cisco
with opening remarks and panel participation by Robert Socha, ASML Fellow, ASML
Below is a summary of thoughts on a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion.
Embrace a mentorship mindset.
Accept that mentorship is a two-way street and all parties may benefit.
Be the giver and the receiver.
Be passionate about participating in a mentorship program.
Be open to *how* mentorship shows up.
Be open-minded and receptive whether mentorship comes from formal or informal processes, whether it's technical or new-hire or cross-age/cross-gender mentoring.
Secure support and sponsorship to enhance mentorship programs.
Make the business case for mentorship by showing personal *and* business benefit through metrics and strategic planning.
See a need for your company and leverage mentorship to meet that need.
Challenge and reward people who go over and above day-to-day requirements.
Plan well but also embrace serendipitous opportunities.
Invite yourself to make things happen, regardless of your role and responsibility. It increases the likelihood that something will happen.
Facilitate Mentorship Conversations.
Facilitate conversations rather than directing actions, for self-discovery leads to broader and deeper personalized learnings.
Encourage others to brainstorm with open minds and hearts, but provide guardrails and guidance to help them make their ideas and dreams into real-world plans.
Ask deep and open-ended questions.
Ask the 'why' question for those who might be really ambitious and eager and the 'why-not' question for those who are hesitant and reticent.
Embrace Differences.
Respect regional, cultural, gender, age, and all other differences so that you can invite and integrate these different viewpoints into the rich and innovative fabric of an organization.
Connect people with different mindsets, roles, business units and perspectives to improve likelihood of cross-pollination of ideas.
Focus on Relationships.
Invite the mentor-mentee relationship to last beyond the length of the program.
Facilitate conversations rather than directing actions, for self-discovery leads to broader and deeper personalized learnings.
Brainstorm – how can we better integrate mentorship into our work lives?
Invite more social half hour chats and see which ones might develop into deeper, longer-term connections.
Connecting at New-hire orientation
Check-in with someone regarding goals
Making the time for mentorship
Invite technologists to represent the voice of the customer.
Help mentees to better connect and communicate.
Follow up and check in with those you mentor.
Gathering people over a common theme
Open office hours
It's about the integration of information and training
Journaling and thinking
Takeaways:
What will you share at the dinner table?
Who did you help today?
Be passionate to realize the exponential effect of mentorship
Invest in yourself, making yourself PROUD
Making sure your people have tools and skills, thoughtful planning
Mindset – change your paradigm, as a mentee, get curious and speak out; as a mentor, be creative on how to serve
Our takeaway? Life and work is better with mentors and mentees. Show up to be the best mentee/mentor you can be.