Maybe you are already a secret mentor…
Forward thinking organisations hold their mentoring programmes in high esteem for good reason. They are an efficient vehicle to share knowledge, expertise and increase the overall value the organisation brings to customers.
Yet many Smart Spirited Women I coach rarely acknowledge their roles as mentors. It takes a while for them to even admit they act as a secret mentor.
Are you already a secret mentor?There are a variety of reasons behind this primarily that they are not confident to view themselves as the experts they truly are. They also feel as if they need to be invited on to some sort of official ‘mentoring council.’
What does it really mean to be a mentor?
At the heart of mentoring is the transfer or knowledge and wisdom. These valuable commodities may have been seeded in a qualification or training course but generally they have been built up with years of ‘on-the-job’ experience. This real life know how isn’t easily translated into a linear training program.
Secret Mentoring looks like…
- You have been asked to help onboard a new member of staff
- Speaking up in a team meeting with your know how
- You ensure that you are accessible to junior staff
- One day you realise you have totally forgotten what your first day at work was like
5 top tips to stop being a secret mentor
- Recognise that there doesn’t have to be an official mentoring relationship
- Feel confident to share your knowledge at team/dept meetings
- Start to notice when you are being asked for help or professional advice that is perhaps outside of your job role
- You feel grateful for being asked for your wisdom rather than feeling drained of your wisdom
- Although you know that you are still learning, you recognise and value your expertise
Notice in your workday where you are mentoring others whether it’s a formal part of your job description or a role that you have stepping into.
Stop being a secret mentor and value your knowledge.