On Being a Mentor
Back in the late 1980s, mentoring was not as commonplace as it is today in our working world and in our society in general. However, 30-odd years ago, I had a mentoring opportunity in the form of a teenage employee at our company. It started a lasting relationship, and it is only by looking back today that both my mentee and myself realized what a powerful relationship mentoring could create.
Recently, my mentee, Renee, and I were preparing a presentation for our WIFI event at Fastener Tech 2015. We were discussing what the mentor role had meant to me, and then she told me how important my role in her life had been to her. It was really a moment of sharing.
The point I want to make to women who might want to mentor is just how satisfying the role was for me in my personal life and as a businessperson. When Renee enumerated the many benefits she received through my role as her mentor, I realized how valuable the relationship was to both of us. She said that increased confidence, trust and coming to see the things she could not see in herself are just a few of the benefits our relationship brought to her.
Being a mentor humbles me. In the beginning, I was just trying to find how Renee could best serve our company, yet our relationship also helped to prepare her for life. It worked because we both stayed committed to our work and to each other. Indeed, Renee is much better off at this stage in her career than I was at the same age. Her successes are many, as well as her contributions to the companies where she has worked.
Renee is now mentoring two other women. And Renee and I remain in a mutual mentoring relationship these many years later. We are a generation apart, so there is much for each of us to learn from each other. Many young millennials will be looking for some guidance, so maybe one of you will be mentoring Renee’s daughter someday soon. Please make sure you take advantage of the opportunity. It’s an investment that I have never regretted.
Mary Lou Aderman
WIFI Board Member
