The Evolution of Mentorship
Projection Surface? NEOM, KSA. Photo by author
The Fallacy of a “Mentorship Program”
To get right to the point.
’Tis Summer.
Over 4 million people graduated from college this year.
Ringing in their ears is one last bit of Advice:.
“Find a Mentor!”
Classic. Classically bad advice; as a Mentor is not something for which one can shop.
One-on-one “mentorship” is an outdated and archaic relic of a paradigm that is no longer relevant nor effective.
Used t’be; someone with great experience or longevity in a company or field would take a protégé under their professional wing; advising the mentee with relevant knowledge, showing them the ropes, sharing relationships and possibly opening doors in the purpose of advancing the career of the new kid.
This structure - of information and knowledge flowing from the Top, down - no longer makes good sense, in light of the fact that there is no longer a Hierarchy of Knowledge.
Hierarchy is outdated. The age-old system originally designed by the military and adopted by corporate America has been rendered obsolete for the simple fact that it promotes irrelevance.
Times are different, people are different, and the speed and volume at which culture and technology is evolving has and continues to alter, expand and diversify; with the result being the absence (or irrelevance) of above mentioned hierarchy.
The Old Way, wherein young/new people were encouraged if not downright admonished to “find a mentor,” is ultimately unrealistic and puts an irrational pressure on the seeker.
On the part of the potential mentees; this is requiring a level of socialization that began to dissipate with the advent of multi-screen living and virtually disappeared with the manifestation of COVID-sequestering. Younger people are hesitant, even resistant, to the concept of approaching someone with whom they do not have a relationship and ask them to be their “mentor.”
Not only that, but conflicting with the “imposter syndrome” sense of not knowing a context is an inherent perception of elders as outdated, thus irrelevant. They really don’t want to be “told how to do it.” Nor should they be forced into that uncomfortable position.
On the other hand, and especially in these times, the commitment and commitment to availability on the part of the prospective mentor can seem (and be) onerous. Encouraged to take on a mentee or three, the elder might embrace the concept but ultimately resent the amount of time it takes from an already busy schedule.
Diving a little deeper. The very root of Mentorship is organic. Mentorship comes out of relationships, familiarity, chemistry and kinship. “Applying” to be mentored or being Assigned a mentee is a false notion; out of order, *ss backward…and sets up unrealistic expectations from the relationship by both parties.
A New Hire might be assigned a junior position responsible to a senior member of the staff as a hands-on Apprentice; that is not inherently a mentoring relationship…though it could in time become one, depending on the players.
So, the old way is the cold way; outgrown, outdated, out of synch with post-millennial thinking and out of touch with the very real, nuanced subtleties (and not-so-subtleties) of the crucial need for effective knowledge-sharing in a rapidly-progressing culture.
The answer, the solution, calls for a softening of boundaries and the relinquishing of old habits and hierarchies. The most effective use of resources - financial and human - is to bring staffs and teams to a place where all are comfortable in sharing what they know, and are wide open to learning from any direction.
There is no shame in not knowing something when one is open to learning at any or all times. Shoulder-to-shoulder mentorship and leadership begets team solidarity and trust; as it keeps the door open to communication, curiosity, learning in situ with colleagues and comrades.
The sharing of information - “mentorship” - then becomes ongoing and universal in context; fostering a Culture of Mentorship wherein such communication is common and constant.
In a Culture of Mentorship, there is no time commitment. Instead; what is created is an ongoing atmosphere of practical mentorship that operates 24/7 with NO time commitment.
Each fresh, new person through the door and on the team brings with them fresh, new information, knowledge and perspective; most all of it of value to the entire hive.
Thus,
In a Culture of Mentorship, Everyone is a Mentor. In a diverse, multigenerational and multicultural staff hive; each encounter throughout a day or project carries the immediate potential to share immediately relevant information.
Veterans are focused on Empowerment of their teams - all employees are enlightened to if not trained for approaching each professional and personal encounter with positivity…empowering even when critiquing.
In such a culture, every person - from CEO or President to the most recent employee through the door - must be open to learning, everyone must be comfortable sharing their experience or perspective…knowledge shared as the situation arises or ad hoc conversation takes place.
Boardroom, bathroom, break room, zoom, casual encounters in hallways, parking lots or adjacent desks can be the sites for a brief moment of enlightenment…addressed right when the information or encouragement is needed. No appointments, just go and ask the person who has done the thing one is doing.
And there is no time commitment. The Mentorship takes place as part of the fabric of the agency, business project or institution; part of the daily rhythm.
From this, most certainly, stronger mentor/protégé relationships might evolve; but only over time.
The Culture is The Thing. THAT is where money and effort need to be focused and spent; in the education and enlightenment of the entire staff to the profound benefits (and advantages) of a culture of mentorship inside their walls.
The view from here is that associations and corporations can best serve their memberships and departments and most effectively embrace recent graduates and new arrivals (and new knowledge) as a part of daily life by creating such a welcoming Culture in their own oeuvres.
This is the most effective solution, and this is what is evolving: the creation and nurturing of a Culture of Mentorship within companies and industries.
Less expenditure, greater profits, stronger teams, legend and legacy. What’s not to like?
