Mentor for (personal) good
Why mentoring peers is worth your energy
I forgot what it’s like to start a new job, when you don’t even know how to make coffee, or where the primo washrooms are, let alone what you’re actually supposed to be doing when you sit down at your desk. In the tech world — and particularly at a growing startup — things move fast. Teams are growing, processes are changing, people are jumping around, and newbies have to get with the program — often without much hand-holding from their stretched supervisors. It’s an exciting environment, but an exhausting one.
‘Thank god for peers!’ I thought to myself, as person after person approached me within my first couple days to introduce themselves and offer up what assistance they could. Not everyone was as forthright or helpful of course, but it only made me appreciate those few shining beacons even more! I made a promise to myself that, once vintage myself, I would pay their generosity forward.
The benefits of professional mentorship and sponsorship for mentees are well documented (though some studies show them to benefit certain groups more than others). Companies with formal mentorship schemes are lauded, but I can’t help but feel that peer mentorship often goes unnoticed, and that those employees who take it upon themselves to mentor and support their colleagues are oftentimes taken for granted, even though they influence workplace culture in very tangible ways.
So why go to the trouble of mentoring, then, if you’re not a top exec that’s been recruited into an ‘official’ scheme? Well, because mentorship is a reciprocal relationship, and although the benefits of peer mentorship may not be as obvious to mentors as to mentees, there are still plenty to be had:
Mentoring strengthens your network
So you felt some sympathy for the new grad who just joined your team and took him or her under your wing. It was the least you could do. Before you embrace the smug satisfaction your good deed is making you feel, remember that no one can foresee the future. The newest addition to the company could one day be running it — or running a company, anyway!
Forging and maintaining positive working relationships with the people around you, regardless of their role, will only ever benefit you.
Mentoring builds critical skills
Mentoring others prepares you for the day when you are trusted to lead a team. Traditional thinking has changed, and these days it’s less about ‘managing’ people than it is about leading them to be and perform their absolute best. Why not begin developing these critical skills by coaching a newbie or supporting a coworker grappling with a particular challenge?
Mentoring positions you as a leader
The people who approached me within my first few days stood out from the crowd. I couldn’t help but take notice of them. They had the confidence, empathy and social grace to introduce themselves and offer their support. These are all qualities, incidentally, that fantastic leaders (and fantastic future leaders!) possess.
What’s more, leaders are often measured by the caliber of the people who work for them, so contributing to the development of your peers will only reflect positively on your abilities.
Mentoring makes your job easier
Very few people work in a vacuum. Most of us have to collaborate with others in our day-to-day work lives. Helping someone start on the right foot will likely make your life much easier than if they’re given little support and are operating oblivious to basic processes.
Mentoring improves your environment
Peer mentoring could ultimately strengthen the diversity of your workplace. Studies show that certain groups — women, for example — have more difficulty finding mentors and champions in the workplace — and especially senior-level mentors. Incidentally, these same groups are often at an increased risk of leaving the workplace in greater numbers. This is especially true within the tech industry. Internal support networks amongst peers engender a culture of inclusiveness, and this may maintain or improve diversity by preventing certain people from leaving. And a diverse team is a happier, more productive one!
Convinced? Ready to test the waters?
Chic Geek runs a mentorship scheme for women interested in tech and entrepreneurship, and we’re always on the lookout for mentors! Keep an eye on the site for information to come, and consider applying for our 2018 scheme this Fall!
