Tracy M. Byham, Ph.D.,
DDI Senior Vice President,
Leadership Solutions shares
“A staggering 63 percent
of the survey group
never had a formal mentor and
considering that 67 percent
rated mentorship as highly important
in helping to advance
and grow their careers
—this indicates a critical gap
in businesswomen’s development.”
I agree that mentorship is important.
I was fortunate to work
for a huge beverage company
that proactively set up mentorship programs
between high achievers
and executives.
I learned more from those mentors
than I ever learned from any course.
I’m now a romance writer
and romance writers are known
in the literary world
for mentoring newer writers.
It is expected
and I suspect
one of the reasons
the genre is number one.
However,
I’ve NEVER waited
to be assigned a mentor,
not in the beverage company,
not in my romance writing chapter.
I’ve always proactively asked
for mentorship.
Yes, I’ve been rejected
(usually due to time constraints)
but I continued asking others
until I landed mentors.
And no, my mentors weren’t all female.
Few of them in business were.
Sex isn’t as important as knowledge.
Everyone needs a mentor.
Don’t wait to be assigned one.
Ask for mentorship.