Wnet Webinar Wrap-Up: Elevate the Next Generation of Women Leaders: Finding Mentors and Becoming One
Monday, April 11, 2022
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Posted by: Anne Mendenhall
By Dawn Delaney, VP, Innovation and Fintech Partnerships, Wholesale Payments, JPMorgan Chase On March 30, 2022, Dawn Delaney and Eileen Holcomb of J.P. Morgan Payments discussed the importance of mentorship during a virtual session hosted by Women’s Network in Electronic Transactions (Wnet). The central theme of the virtual session — elevating the next generation of women leaders, finding mentors and becoming one — focused on the value of mentorship in women’s personal and professional lives. Valuable insights were shared on helping women identify the right mentor, initially engaging them and establishing the most effective interaction and communication. Drawing from their real-world experiences being mentored and mentoring others, specific recommendations for those seeking to be a mentor or mentee include: - Performing a self-assessment to thoughtfully understand your own professional priorities and objectives
- Demonstrating a work ethic that attracts and inspires mentors and mentees
- Preparing to be flexible and sometimes informal when approaching and engaging a mentor
- For mentees, educating yourself on specific ways you can help a mentor improve or complete a project
- Agreeing on shared objectives like skill development, career path, networking and/or work-life balance
- Establishing ways to monitor and measure progress
Noting the types of mentorships she sees as most effective, Dawn told the audience, “Mentorship is a give-and-take relationship on both the part
of the mentor and mentee. It should be a mutually beneficial relationship and can take shape in whichever form works
best for you and your mentor or mentee.” Mentoring experiences benefit from the sharing of authentic professional experiences, including times of failure, risk-taking and dealing with difficult circumstances. Both success and failure were noted as opportunities to learn important resiliency and leadership lessons. Attendees were also advised to consider virtual mentoring to take advantage of all forms of digital communications, from online chat to Zoom meetings. Such mentoring relationships can provide unique cultural insights when international borders are spanned. The difference between mentors and sponsors was also explored, with Eileen suggesting the audience, “Think of sponsorship as phase two of mentorship. Once the mentor and mentee have worked together for a while, usually at least a few months, the mentor may see evidence of growth and self-accountability in the mentee. At that point, the mentor can become an actual advocate for their mentee. In this capacity, the mentor is now a sponsor and the mentee is a protégé.” Those who wish to join Wnet or watch a replay of the virtual mentoring session can do so by visiting the Thought Leadership Center on Wnet's SocialLink member community.
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