Mentoring is much discussed as a way to invest in women. How should mentoring be pursued/structured to help it deliver on its promise?
Women love mentoring, because they often need to process career decisions, privately, with someone who is more experienced. But mentoring alone isn’t worth much unless women can see how to apply the insights they gain to accelerate their wins. Mentoring needs to feed executive sponsorships of high-potential candidates, especially women, who are often culturally excluded from such relationships. Sponsors advocate for rising talent, ensuring that promising women get, for example, high-profile projects and the operational experience they must have to qualify for general management.
Answers provided by Joanne Cleaver, president of Wilson-Taylor Associates, a consulting firm focused on advancing women in business. Cleaver designed and manages MOVE Projects, which help industries understand how well they are advancing women and how they can do better. See current MOVE Project reports at www.wilson-taylorassoc.com.
This Ask An Expert segment is a continuation of Building Operating Management's April cover story, "Women in FM: How women are reaching leadership roles and how companies can help." Find the full article here.
The Business Case for Developing Women In Leadership
Identifying and Remediating Reasons Qualified Women Leave
How Mentoring Should Be Pursued and Structured
