Early in my college career I recall taking several required arts and science courses and certain required elective courses. A specific memory comes to mind regarding a book report the class was assigned midway through the semester in which I had to write an expository essay. I must have done an awesome job on the essay as I received an “A.”
Through enabling others, mentors satisfy an important generative need. Having the opportunity to positively impact the trajectory of someone else’s career path by providing sound effective counseling and coaching has an unparalleled feeling of self-gratification.
Cervente Sudduth P. E., ENV SP,
The course TA called me to her office to discuss the essay. She told me it was well written and that she was very impressed. She then asked what my course of study was at the university. After I said Engineering, she suggested I think about changing my major to English because she felt I had a really great future in the field given the essay I had written. As a young student and throughout my college career, this comment always resonated with me. I was never able to grasp why or how a teacher would coach/mentor a student away from set goals. No matter how sound her advice was, it did not waiver my journey to become a civil engineer.
Why is this story important? Because Mentors provide a variety of functions that support, guide, and counsel those that are less experienced. The influence we exert as seasoned individuals can easily sway or misguide students as well as emerging engineering professionals.
According to the Psychologist Daniel Levinson in his book The Season’s of a Man’s Life, a young adult early in their career is likely forming an occupational identity along with a dream, professional relationships, and mentor relationships. It is at this point a young person or professional is establishing “Role Identity vs Role Confusion” and “Professional Intimacy vs Isolation.” During this period of professional development, mentorship is imperative.
How do we define mentorship? Here are two definitions:
Mentoring is a reciprocal and collaborative at-will relationship that most often occurs between a senior and junior employee for the purpose of the mentee’s growth, learning, and career development.
Mentorship is a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together over time to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners through the provision of career and psychosocial support.
Mentoring should be the cornerstone of how we operate as structural engineers. As I prepared to write this editorial, I found it insightful to ask our staff what mentoring and mentorship means to them. I was not at all surprised by the responses.
Mentoring bridges the gap between what is learned in school and what is practical application in the industry.
Providing guidance to new staff to assist in understanding company policies, procedures, and ways of executing work tasks.
Having a resource available to you that can provide knowledge and expertise in an area specific to an assigned task.
Additionally, I asked the staff, on a scale of 1 to 10 how important mentorship was in the workplace (1 is absolutely not important; 10 is absolutely important). It was 10s across the board. The staff overwhelmingly confirmed having a mentor or culture of mentorship was vital to workplace happiness and success.
Randstad, a global HR service firm, found that employees participating in a mentor program were 49% less likely to leave their organization. This equated to a cost savings of $3,000 per employee per year, according to Matthew Reeves, CEO of Together. In the same study, a Gallup poll found 68% of employees in the U.S. were disengaged with their work. Reeves goes onto say, Mentorship programs and an organizational culture that supports and encourages mentorship enhances employee engagement because:
It provides more opportunities for training and development by tapping into the knowledge of your more senior employees.
Mentorship gives employees a voice to speak with leadership, thus breaking down barriers to communication.
Both mentor and mentees are given the opportunity to prove themselves by putting into practice what they discuss during sessions.
Engagement is closely tied with working relationships. Mentorship builds social ties.
Mentorship holds mentors and mentees accountable for commitments they make to one another.
There’s a common misconception that in a mentor/mentee relationship, the benefit predominantly favors the mentee. Boston University’s Kathy Kram suggests the contrary: Through enabling others, mentors satisfy an important generative need. Having the opportunity to positively impact the trajectory of someone else’s career path by providing sound effective counseling and coaching has an unparalleled feeling of self-gratification. As structural engineers, it also is our duty.
Mid-way through my career, I was a mentor and coach to my structural team. I had a young engineer leading all design and drawing production on a project for the first time. He had experience in all facets of building design, but he had not been provided with a chance to lead. The day our team submitted 100% bid documents, he came to my office and said, “I want to thank you for giving me wings.” He then gave me a card expressing his gratitude. Twenty-five years later, I still have the card displayed in my office on my mantle. While my colleague achieved a milestone in his career that day, I received a sense of accomplishment right alongside him.
Why is Mentoring For the Birds? Mentoring is for the Birds because no one knows to what heights they can soar until they spread their wings and fly. This quote is engraved in a photo of a bald eagle flying high in the sky that I keep at the edge of my desk.■