Mentorship in the Time of Covid-19

I’ve read so many articles about what offices will look like as we move out of this pandemic period  - (and no, I’m not commenting on when and how we should reopen). Will people trust gyms and restaurants? What will education look like this fall?

But I haven’t read much about mentorship and professional development in the time of a pandemic. And I’m not talking about training programs and courses that aim to up-skill the next generation: Experts sent in to present slides, do ice breakers, and facilitate workshops to impart decades of knowledge into one full day.

I’m talking about daily professional development. The water cooler talk. The spoken requests for help and the unspoken ones. And it’s worrying me.

Recently I’ve started coaching young women at crossroads in their careers, including a few from the Pay It Forward initiative, started by Kate Huyett. Each of them - from different backgrounds, at different stages of their careers, doing very different functions - all wanted to know the HOW. How did I get to where I am? How did I learn and advance? How did I build a strong network? Who helped me along the way, and how did I secure their help? How did I know when to leave?

Each conversation, and each proud (and some painful) memory, has left me with a stark realization: my HOWs are no longer possible. My HOWs won’t work for them. My HOWs do not compute with Zoom or Google Meets or Slack. Hell, some of my HOWs weren’t available to them pre-Pandemic. And it’s adding to my pandemic, social unrest, economic concerns.

It all started when a new connection interrupted our exploratory partnership call to ask me about my career. She wanted to know how I got to where I am - not only the brands (I’ve worked for some cool ones) and how I went from Marketing Coordinator to VP of Marketing. This question came up again when I started doing the Pay It Forward initiative.

So, being a proud storyteller, I would speak about how I never turned off my curiosity and that I made friends wherever I went - in order to learn, to grow, to gain awareness of other functional areas so that I could do a better job. This is how it went: I believed early on that the key to success was to be a solutions-minded seeker, always willing to help and learn. I then made sure to help and learn from people I respected - because they had the keys to the next stage. In helping and learning from them, I slowly created bonds with them. When I encountered challenges and needed advice, it was much easier to be vulnerable with them - which made them more likely to give advice and offer support. Going above and beyond, asking to do more - especially when I saw that they were stressed and under pressure.

“These conversations would never happen if they were scheduled. How do you see when someone is stressed and under pressure, when you only see them from the waist up? How can you offer to take things off their plate, when they’re not there to really teach you?”

These conversations would never happen if they were scheduled.  How do you see when someone is stressed and under pressure, when you only see them from the waist up? How can you offer to take things off their plate, when they’re not there to really teach you? How do you build the relationships when you have a scheduled 30 min 1-1 catch up scheduled at 11am and another one starting promptly at 11:30am?

This also makes me realize that I would not be where I am today without the time, patience and care that was shown to me when I was just starting out. I found mentors, I was given advice, and although every situation was not ideal, I found solutions to my challenges - in the moment and in my exits.

My recent conversations with BIPOC marketing rock stars has shown me a different perspective, though. Added to the stories coming out on workplace toxicity and racial bias, I realized that many women of color were not given those same safe spaces. In my younger years, I can now admit to not always being polished. There were times that I stormed into the offices of mentors to explode and complain about some challenge I was facing or how something didn’t go the way I wanted - like a privileged, spoiled young person with unrealistic expectations of how the workplace functions and an exaggerated view of self.

In those scenarios, most of my mentors were kind and patient with me. They would calmly help me understand the other person’s perspective. They taught me the process of forward movement and how to get buy-in. They gave me enough directional advice to educate me and help me evolve. They didn’t label me as the problem (even the times when I really was the problem). They didn’t just tell me to accept it or feel lucky I even have a job. They didn’t put the blame on me for “culture fit.” These women with whom I spoke, who had already had challenges stacked against them before shelter in place orders, are now trying to navigate an even murkier world. So what am I doing about all this? I’m continuing to volunteer my time to network with BIPOC who are looking to explore marketing and the design industry. 

I’m hoping to inspire other leaders and managers to think about this next generation. Who helped you get here? Maybe give them a call and say thanks. How are you and your organization taking care of the assistants and coordinators and recent college grads? How can you make your next 1-1 meeting really matter?

Please take the time to listen for the unspoken questions. To consider how your employees are really doing during this marathon of stress and uncertainty. To be there for them as mentors and teachers and guides.

Because we will get out of this period, one day. And in the meantime, we are still working, still pushing, still displaying perseverance in action, and still human. With so much on the line for getting this right, it’s worth the time to slow down, consider your teams and take steps to teach and support those around you.

What are you doing to help those you manage during this period?