Why Every Woman Should Take Part In The Mentor Hour
We believe that every woman in business should #GiveBack 1 hour of their month to help someone else. Why? Because mentoring has proven benefits that can help drive performance, productivity and retention in the workplace.
For mentors, it’s a fantastic way to give back and share your experiences with other women in business. For mentees, it can help you progress faster, avoid costly mistakes and make better decisions. This in turn helps strengthen our communities, economy and country.
But it can often be incredibly hard to find a good mentor. A simple Google search will reveal a myriad of blog posts and advice on the subject, but no easy ways of connecting with other professionals in your industry who want to give back.
Yes, you can reach out to industry peers on LinkedIn (and lots of people will go above and beyond to help) but it’s tricky to navigate. How do you know if you’re the right fit for each other? Should you pay them for their time?
The Mentor Hour
At She Mentors, everyone in our community donates one hour of their month to another member, in an innovative initiative called The Mentor Hour.
This isn’t a typical 'mentor-to-mentee' program – we believe everyone has something truly unique to offer. We’re a collective of professionals, business owners, startups, side hustlers and job seekers, working and slaying across a variety of industries. Where someone lacks knowledge or experience in one area, another member makes up for it. And what’s more, she’s ready to share this insight!
Perhaps you’re just starting out in your career and you need advice on landing your first job. Or maybe you’ve had 15 years’ experience in a corporate role but want to launch your own business. Or you could be a whizz at digital but have no idea how to manage your finances? We’re all skilled in different areas, which means we can all benefit from each other.
Benefits of business mentoring
71% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs. Why? Because investing in leadership capability pays off in performance, productivity and innovation (Centre for Workplace Leadership 2016).
In a five-year study of 1000 employees (Gartner 2006) it was discovered:
- 25% of employees who enrolled in a mentoring program had a salary-grade change, compared to only 5% of workers who did not participate
- Mentees are promoted five times more often than those not in a mentoring program
- Retention rates were higher for both mentees (22% more) and mentors (20% more) than for employees who did not participate in a mentoring program
For CEO’s in formal mentoring programs (Harvard Business Review 2015):
- 84% said mentors had helped them avoid costly mistakes
- 84% become proficient in their roles faster
- 69% were making better decisions
Research also shows:
- Millennials intending to stay with their organisation for more than five years are twice as likely to have a mentor (68%) than not (32%)
- Participants are 40% more likely to achieve their goals if they write them down. This increases to 70% if the goals are shared with someone to keep them accountable, such as a mentor.
- 89% of those mentored, go on to mentor themselves contributing to a culture of learning and mentoring,
As you can see, mentoring can be incredibly rewarding for everyone involved. Not only do you give back and pass on your wisdom – you tailor each session to the needs of a particular person, so it’s a personal, unique experience.
Mentoring also promotes a learning culture that stays with the mentor and mentee throughout their professional and personal lives, prompting them to continually look for ways to upskill and share experiences.
Even celebs are advocates of mentoring…
- “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”
— Oprah Winfrey - “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”
— Steven Spielberg - “In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care about what you know and care about the person you’re sharing with.”
— Maya Angelou - “Mentoring is crucial for career progression.
— Sheryl Sandberg
What’s different about She Mentors?
We believe that a one-hour coffee catch up or Zoom chat can make a huge difference to someone’s mindset and attitude. We all know the feeling when you walk away from an event or meeting buzzing with ideas, clarity and excitement. This is what happens in The Mentor Hour.
Are you ready to transform your life? The doors to the Members’ Club are open now! Become part of the important process of mentoring and change the trajectory of your own career, all while helping to shape the professional journey of someone else!