By Stephanie Diana Eubank
I have worked in the financial industry for over twelve years now. While working in the financial industry, I have been blessed to have three mentors throughout my career. Two of them are women, and one identified as a man and happened to be a member of the LBGTQ community. The diversity of my mentors has helped me as a leader and a college-level business instructor and given me a more global perspective. I have truly been blessed to have such wonderful mentors. Although one of my mentors Dean Marks, passed away this week after a long hard battle with cancer. He is missed by not just me but all those in our field which he inspired.
With COVID dividing leaders and aspiring leaders of all walks of life, there are four concepts to consider in mentorship that are often swept under the rug. These four concepts are true for onsite and remote workplaces. However, with remote work becoming more normative, the focus needs to be on how mentorship can be addressed in a remote work environment.
The concept in Mentorship #1 is Ambiguousness of what mentorship is.
Mentors play a vital role in business employee development and leadership training. Since COVID and the lockdowns connecting with mentors and networking has become a more vital skill than ever. Not just for mentees but for those who are mentoring. This fact has never been truer than now as we try to adjust to the new normal that is COVID. In the book, Rolfe (2021), which can be found on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3PIp63H talks about the fact that mentoring often is an ambiguous term and can be confusing for both mentors and mentees. In this book, Rolfe (2021); also takes a practical approach versus a theoretical approach. The book Rolfe (2021) also details the importance of communication, boundaries, and how to structure mentorship so proper implementation can be used.
The concept in Mentorship #2 is Encouraging Diversity in Leadership.
As a woman, there can be stigmas about being mentored regardless of the gender of one’s mentor. As detailed in the book, Sandberg (2013); can be found at https://amzn.to/3IUyL4Z. Many are familiar with the book “Lean In” by Sandberg (2013); the research noted within both practical and observational findings by Sandberg and data researched to support the findings. The book Sandberg (2013); touches on the fact that there are few women of any race or creed in places of leadership. With COVID hurting women’s careers as they fight to get into and stay in places of leadership in a growing remote workplace, mentorship has never been more important towards growing diversity in leadership and business. Although may criticize Sandberg for her privileged vantage point that not all women can enjoy. However, she raises interesting points on how women being in places of leadership paves the way for positive change and creative problem-solving through diversity. With COVID rates surging and women either having to leave the workforce or work remotely while balancing childcare and child education while the pandemic rage on mentorship is important and can make it difficult for mentors and mentees to ask for the help needed to progress.
The concept in Mentorship #3 Asking for Help Is a Strength.
Asking for help is a soft skill that is often ignored in leadership. Mentors are a great resource in learning how to effectively ask for help and for mentees to learn what resources they truly have. Moreover, in a remote workplace, often leaders see asking for help as a weakness. Which is a toxic leadership trait for any leader. Teams asking for help and leaders asking for help keep turn times under control and support workers regardless of onsite or remote workplaces. An interesting book that tackles this topic of asking for and receiving help in a leadership role is Brand (2019), which is found at https://amzn.to/3PmPT60. It seems unconventional to read mentoring advice from Russel Brand, but his book highlights the concept of toxic leadership, where often, employees are not regarded as an organization’s strongest asset. Also, in the book Brand (2019); it is noted that asking for help even before COVID has always been regarded as a weakness when the need for help is poor planning on leadership, and employees asking for help really allows leaders to know when the house is on fire in time to save it.
The concept in Mentorship #4 To Thy Own Self Be True.
Another concept discussed in the book Maxwell (2021), found at https://amzn.to/3v5r06x is the concept of authentic leadership and knowing oneself. Everyone has blind spots regarding our own personal flaws. As leaders, we need to be introspective, not just with how we lead but how we pick mentees. The book Maxwell (2021) discusses how knowing we and what works to lead authentically is important as leaders. However, some concepts of knowing oneself include knowing what leadership styles don’t work in the remote world.
Conclusion: I have been blessed to have many mentors who are diverse leaders in their rights. Remote work has made mentorship even more important to furthering the training of future leaders. In researching mentor books, four concepts emerged in mentoring. The four concepts are as follows:
- The rules of mentoring are ambiguous and, as detailed in Rolfe (2021), note how establishing boundaries and give some more structure to mentorship. The book, Rolfe (2021) also notes the importance of communication which has never been more important than in a remote workplace.
- Mentorship needs to encourage diversity. As detailed in the book, Sandberg (2013); shows how women in leadership help develop a more inclusive leadership plan and creative problem-solving. As many of us have learned, COVID women have had to leave the workplace or convert to remote as a permanent need to address child or family care. It doesn’t matter if you are a male or female leader. If you find someone who wants you to mentor them, especially women and minorities, pay it forward as your mentors did. High tides raise all boat mentorship making a leader more versatile. It doesn’t phase you out.
- It is almost always a cliché comment that communication is key to… well, everything. Asking for help is communicating! As detailed in Brand (2019), asking for help, regardless of being a leader or a would-be leader, is not a weakness. It is a sign of understanding limitations and can save an organization. We all need help from time to time, and teams needing help are a sign that there needs to be a pivot in implementing the process. Teams and employees are a company’s most valuable resources, and leaders must treat them as such.
- Lastly, authentic leadership and understanding our strengths and flaws as people and leaders. The book Maxwell (2021), the adage to know thy self is true. Failures teach us more than our successes; those are some of the things that should be shared so that mentees learn from their mistakes. Another concept is some of these flaws can also be considered toxic in a remote work environment as some leadership methods just don’t translate pleasantly in remote workplaces.
These four concepts are important to remember when mentoring remotely because having the bravery to reach out and ask for help and mentoring is half the battle of working in a remote workplace. Reaching out to mentors with remote employees’ professional isolation is healthy for all involved. I don’t know where I would be today without my mentors, and the fact that one of them has passed is a great loss to the community. I only hope I positively impact my mentees as he has on me.
If you enjoyed this article, remember that sharing is caring. Also, if you have a mentor you want to discuss, leave a comment.
Work Cited
Brand, R. (2019). Mentors: How to help and be helped. Henry Holt.
Maxwell, J. C. (2021). The self-aware leader: Play to your strengths, unleash your team: Play to your strengths, unleash your team. HarperCollins Leadership.
Rolfe, A. (2021). Mentoring: Mindset, skills and tools. Mentoring Works.
Sandberg, S. (2013). Lean in: Women, work, and the will to lead. Deckle Edge.
