Creating connections - the power of mentoring
Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.
At BAME in Property, we know and understand the importance of mentoring, of creating connections, and having that guidance as you navigate the challenges and opportunities throughout your career. There’s no doubt that at some point in our lives, we all need that little extra help. A mentor can help pin down your career aspirations, increase your promotional prospects and open doors to networking opportunities.
But mentoring is more than just a one-way relationship. Mentoring gives a sense of purpose to both parties; it’s an exchange of skills and cultures across different demographics and even generations.
We’re passionate about delivering equality of opportunity and supporting more diversity in our great industry. That’s why we’ve partnered with Mount Anvil on their Makers & Mentors programme, which is supported by the Mayor of London, to help people make connections and grow skills across the full breadth of the built environment sector.
Networking at Mount Anvil and BAME in Property’s mentoring event.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is transformational. It’s a collaborative relationship between two people with the goal of professional and personal development. It’s focused more on support, advice and guidance as part of a long-term partnership.
When a quality conversation happens between two parties in a mentoring relationship, the result is problem-solving, skill development or network enhancement, all things that advance careers and improve lives.
The key to success
There is no one model to follow with regards to mentoring. Each mentoring relationship is different and it’s important you find a model that works for you, alongside a regular timeframe to meet and catch-up. Squeeze the lemon, you get out what you put in! So, embrace the relationship because it really can help you, change you and give a sense of purpose.
The benefits of implementing a mentoring programme
Employees who received mentoring were promoted five times more often than those who didn’t have mentors (Source: Sun Microsystems). Through increased confidence and skills, no doubt, mentees become better at leveraging the many challenges that can crop up in the workplace.
However, while it’s often assumed that the mentee is the principal beneficiary of the mentoring relationship, there are huge advantages for mentors too. According to MentorCloud, over two thirds (69%) of mentors found that mentoring gave them a strong sense of purpose for helping others grow. Mentoring is therefore a great way of building key listening and coaching skills for everyone, in addition to leadership qualities among employees, including better interpersonal and communication skills.
Furthermore, there is inevitably an element of ‘reverse mentoring’ that takes place in a mentoring relationship, where both parties commit to openness and curiosity, to learn more about themselves and the world around them. For those being mentored, it’s a reminder that everyone has life experiences and skills that are significant.
It goes without saying that the virtuous circle continues. MentorCloud also found that 89% of those who have been mentored go on to mentor others. Those who’ve benefitted from a mentor know how important it is to pass it on.
From left to right: Darragh Hurley, MD of Mount Anvil, Sarah Hayford, Founder and CEO of The Land Collective CIC, Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chief Executive of L&Q and Priya Aggarwal Shah, Founder and Director of BAME in Property at Mount Anvil and BAME in Property’s mentoring event.
Creating Connections mentoring event
For this event we partnered with Mount Anvil and their Makers & Mentors programme, which is backed by the Mayor of London, to bring our networks together, create connections, and ultimately, help people find their perfect mentoring match.
The event, held on 23 November 2022 at Mount Anvil’s Living Room space in their Barbican office, saw Priya Aggarwal Shah, Founder and Director of BAME in Property, Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chief Executive of L&Q, Sarah Hayford, Founder and CEO of The Land Collective CIC and Darragh Hurley, MD of Mount Anvil, share their words of wisdom about mentoring.
As Sarah Hayford said, “Trying to be something you’re not, doesn’t pay dividends in the long run.”
For Fiona, the importance of “being unashamedly myself” was important and paved the way for her success across the industry.
Meanwhile, Darragh summed it up to a tee, “problems aren’t solved from the consciousness that created them – we need cognitive diversity in order to thrive.”
The mentees in the audience loved the encouragement to stand out, come out of their comfort zone and really see how mentoring can help someone achieve incredible things. No doubt, we are all surrounded by indirect mentors, it only takes some encouragement from one person to help change your mindset and nurture a sense of belief.
The rest of the evening saw people networking and exchanging details before we reconvened to celebrate two years of Mount Anvil’s Makers & Mentors programme with birthday cake.
We obviously thought the evening was fantastic (!) but the true testament was from our attendees who shared how useful they found the networking and the opportunity to speak to people outside of their usual circles. A few people even found their mentoring match! Over the last couple of months, we’ve been following up with our networks to see if they’ve found more mentoring matches and supporting people with their programmes through Makers & Mentors.
Get involved with the Makers & Mentors programme
If you’ve made it this far (thank you!) and are interested in getting involved with the Makers and Mentors programme, please get in touch with us on hello@bameinproperty.com or visit https://mountanvil.com/makers-mentors/mentoring/.
“Everyone has life skills and experience to share as a mentor. One word, one hour can be all that’s needed to effect a positive change in someone.” – Chelsea Baker