What Should Meaningful Guidance Look Like for Female Employees?

Mentorship benefits all parties involved including the mentor, mentee and the organization itself. Indeed, some academic studies show benefits in greater career advancement, lower turnover and more investment in organizations. Guidance can be especially important for underrepresented populations in the workplace, including women.

A recent study conducted by The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania looked at Enhancing Workplace Culture through Evidence-Based Practices of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. Stephanie Creary, Nancy Rothbard and Jared Scruggs review seven categories of DEI practices for measurable outcomes in DEI for organizations. Mentoring and Sponsorship is one of seven categories and found to be among the “most influential practices where they consistently drive many learned outcomes.”

As a female leader, I have had mentors and mentees throughout most of my career. These relationships have helped me grow both personally and professionally. I can’t believe I would be where I am today as a female founder without mentor support along the way.

There are many helpful business relationships, so what makes a mentor unique? Mentors are your career support. They are usually a long term relationship and last longer than one position and often one company. Of course there are other professional relationships that women benefit from. However, mentoring is special and well worth the investment of time for the positive ROI it can get in one’s career.

Who is a good mentor?

The question of who is a good mentor is a very individual question. In general, mentors should have some level of seniority from where you are in your career. While this gap can change over the years, the most successful mentor who can help guide you in your career is one who has navigated the same path before.

Often a mentor will be in the same organization. This type of mentoring can include multiple levels of your internal career sponsorship and promotion path. However, female entrepreneurs and executives may not benefit from an in-house mentor. In this case, it can be helpful to find a mentor in a similar industry or with shared experience. For example, when I moved from Corporate America to found my own company, I formed a new mentor relationship with a fellow entrepreneur who had founded her company 15 years earlier.

A good mentor will provide constructive criticism. While compliments are nice to receive, they don’t help you improve or grow professionally. Some of the most helpful feedback I’ve received has come from my mentors. Someone told me early on that as a petite woman who looks younger than her years, it is very important to sit up straight and project my voice in a meeting. While the previous sentence is ripe with references that might make an HR professional cringe, this is very helpful feedback to welcome. Becoming more aware of how I physically present myself in meetings helps me build my executive presence.

Many times when looking for a mentor, people look for someone of the same race and gender. However, much strong guidance occurs between people of different genders or races. Being able to try other people’s experiences that are different from your own creates learning for mentors and mentees.

Interestingly, women leaders seem to be more convinced of the benefits of mentoring. According to a McKinsey & Company study Women in the Workplace, “Men in senior leadership outnumber women 2 to 1—but employees are more likely to say that female and male leaders have supported their career development.” It is clear that women step up to mentor more often and are likely to realize the powerful benefits of doing so. What are some of these benefits? From a DEI perspective, when a mentee shares his or her experience, it can offer a mentor a new lens that is different from hers. Additionally, when mentees share about their work and seek advice, these discussions help mentors stay abreast of current trends in the industry with them.

Related: The 6 Most Important Traits to Look For When Choosing a Mentor

Where do you find a mentor?

There are many programs for forming or formally requesting a mentor. Many large companies will have a formal tutoring program. For women entrepreneurs, there are several organizations that will pair you with a mentor and often their services are free or inexpensive. Formal programs are especially helpful if you are new to an organization or industry.

However, often informal mentoring built over time can be just as successful. When I started my career, I was always afraid to ask for advice. I don’t want to annoy people and I don’t want to appear ignorant of something I should know. Looking back, I realize that I missed out on the benefits of a mentor early in my career. I have learned over the years not to be afraid to ask for support. If someone doesn’t have the capacity to be a mentor, they will let you know. Otherwise, more often than not, they are happy to help and will also benefit from the relationship.

Related: How to Find the Right Mentor: Insights From Immigrant Entrepreneurs

How to make the most of your time together

How do you best utilize your time with a mentor? First, talk about what you expect from your time together. Mentors and mentees should share their background and career paths as well as career goals. This provides an opportunity to identify common experiences and unique areas of expertise.

Next, make a commitment to meet regularly and set a meeting rhythm. Make the most of your time by attending the prepared meeting. It is usually the responsibility of the mentee to come up with a topic for which you would like feedback or an issue you are struggling with. You can also discuss articles or books relevant to your industry. Not every session has to have a set agenda, but you want to make sure it’s not just a social connection. Your goal with your guidance is to learn from each other and for the career development of the mentee.

Pulling it all together

Successful mentoring creates a positive impact on individuals and organizations. Find a mentor who can help your career today and in the future. Investing the time it takes to maximize the relationship is well worth it. For female leaders, these relationships can help you out of career valleys and fuel you at the peak of your career.

Related: 3 Core Principles I Think Everyone Should Look For in a Boss or Mentor