Getting the most from mentoring with myGwork
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Want 2016 to bring your success professionally? Get yourself a mentor on myGwork!
‘Mentoring’ is the new buzz word that everyone who wants take a step in their career needs to know.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says mentoring could be thought of as “a relationship in which a more experienced colleague uses his or her greater knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of a more junior or inexperienced member of staff”.
Jonathan D. Lovitz, VP of External Affairs at the NGLCC, made a call a year ago in the Huffington Post, when he wrote mentors are needed “more than ever in the LGBT community”.
If we all know that mentoring is essential to career development and learning, many would ask, how do I find my mentor? myGwork is here to help. The myGwork platform provides a safe space for mentoring, where members can learn from each other, find positive role models, build trust and be professionally “sponsored”.
In the end mentoring is about creating a powerful LGBT professional community.
myGwork mentors are from across all industries, background and seniority levels. There is no excuse not to reach out to them and start learning, sharing and building your personal brand. Now let’s see what some of myGwork mentors have to say.
Time for learning, develop new skills and grow professionally
“Have a motto in life to be the best version of myself, I need to keep learning,” says Andrew Farmer Manager, Global Employer Brand at IHG (United Kingdom).
“I’m the type of person that believes learning never stops from the moment you graduate University. For me, Mentoring is so powerful to learn from others and their experiences – without it, I wouldn’t continue to grow, develop and ultimately be the best version of me.
“I meet fantastic people everyday, and I am fortunate enough to mentor people across the business I work for, this also includes Senior Leaders in the form of ‘Reverse Mentoring.’
“Sharing knowledge, skills and learnings is one thing, but for me it’s really helped me to develop relationships, challenge myself and continue to grow and shape my career.
“It’s really empowering to be open and proud of who you are and what you have achieved professionally… and I wanted to be able to help, influence, mentor and connect with others who felt just as empowered.”
Be a positive role model
Positive role models in the LGBT professional community are essential to lift spirit and give hope to colleagues, employees, graduates and anyone that still fear to come out at work.
“Currently, I am one of only a very few people in my organisation in upper management of 30,000 employees that openly identify as LGBT,” explains Vincent K. Winston, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Cintas (United States).
“I believe there is a responsibility for those that have achieved great things to reach back and help others along their path.
“Mentoring is a critical part of a person’s development both as the mentor and mentee, as it provides opportunities to address the subtle things that often are known but unsaid out of pleasantries, time to reflect on one’s own career, and the ability to be a beacon of hope and aspiration to push through the tough times.
“I would not have achieved the level of success in either my academic background or professional career if it was not for mentors.”
Trust is key to mentoring and to developing any positive relationship.
myGwork helps build trust and remove seniority barriers in the LGBT professional community. It just makes it easier to reach out to like-minded professionals.
“Over the years I have been fortunate to have been mentored by some truly fabulous individuals,” says UK-based Voice and Leadership Coach Julia Montague.
“This has given me space to grow, learn and develop. I think everyone should have the chance to work with a mentor.
“When you find that ‘experienced and trusted advisor’ who you build a great relationship with, you find yourself supported and guided to move forward positively and with confidence.”
“By sharing knowledge and experience with others, not only do they get to develop and learn, but as a mentor you have the privilege of constantly learning and developing also.”
Building your personal brand: from mentor to sponsor
People see you through the eyes of people they know. A mentor is not only an advisor but also an advocate. He can help you develop your personal brand among his network.
“Since the start of my career, people have generously offered me their time advice, and this has positively influenced the decisions I’ve made and directions I’ve taken,” says Nicholas Creswell, Vice President, Talent & Development at Thomson Reuters (United Kingdom).
“I’m 20 years into my career, and I still turn to mentors for advice: however experienced we are, we can always benefit from others’ experiences too.
“I’ve also benefited from sponsors: a sponsor will often give mentoring advice, but they will go further too – they will positively advocate for you, to help open up new opportunity. Finding sponsors in your company, your function and your industry can have a huge impact on your long-term success.”
“It makes all the difference if each of us can learn from the successes and the mistakes of others: that doesn’t mean we must always follow their advice, but certainly it can inform and – hopefully – improve the decisions we make.”
Build a stronger LGBT professional community
myGwork helps connect thousands LGBT professionals worldwide and provide the opportunity to build long term relationship where members offer advice to each other.
“We must transform the concept of “minorities” into communities. That way we can grow a healthy environment to develop different skills in order to empower LGBT professionals,” says Mauricio Rodríguez Naime, Human Development and Talent Administration at Marona (Mexico).
“As a mentor I have been able to build strong teams and partners who are essential in achieving positive outcomes for protects I led. Mentoring it’s a win win relationship.”
“I believe that young talent is the key to success for any business,” says James Holloman, Director of Marketing at Selfridges (United Kingdom).
“Therefore inspiring and encouraging young professionals to always bring their authentic self to work, especially within the LGBT community is important.
“Being authentic and bringing your ‘best self’ to the workplace will ultimately deliver you greater work satisfaction and enable you to produce at your best . I find that watching young professionals succeed is the most rewarding part about being a manager or mentor.”
myGwork mentors can be contacted via myGwork messaging system.
They offer their help, knowledge and experience, reach out to them today!