Pay it Forward - the Power of Mentoring
I consider myself one of the lucky ones from a career perspective. Throughout my 36 years in the banking industry, I have been surrounded by an outstanding support system. This support system included a supportive spouse, an inspirational grandmother and three significant male mentors, all from diverse backgrounds. But that is a story for another time!
To understand where I am coming from in this article, you need to know a little about me. When I graduated from high school, my life�s position was such that I needed to help my mom pay the bills. As a result, I didn�t have an opportunity at that time to attend college. I did waitress work for a few months and was thrilled to land a job as a bank teller earning about $7,000 a year. I had no plans of staying in the banking arena, but within one year, my career took an upswing and I never again thought about leaving the industry. Did it take me longer and did I have to work a bit harder than others to get where I am today? Perhaps, but the journey has been incredible so far!
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that the one thing I am most passionate about is the people. I also believe that for some of us, there comes a point in our careers when we think, �So� I have done everything I aspired to do in my career � now what?� For me, the answer came quickly. In 2012, a representative from the Florida Diversity Council reached out to me and asked if I would consider participating on a panel at the Council�s 2013 Annual Women�s Conference. Saying �yes� has resulted in a number of positive experiences, including the opportunity to meet a lot of great people and forge outstanding relationships.
Immediately after my panel session at the Women�s Conference concluded, a couple of young professionals approached me and asked if we could meet to discuss what it takes to be successful. This encounter was the beginning of a new passion for me - serving as a mentor to several young professionals over the last couple of years. Most recently, someone relatively new to banking reached out to me and when we first met over lunch, she shared that she was scared to ask me if I would meet with her but took the advice of a co-worker who told her, �the worst thing that could happen is that she says �no�.� I give this young lady a great deal of credit because I can tell you that had I been in her shoes years ago, I would not have dared reach out to someone with the word �executive� in his or her title. (The years have taught me that none of us are really that scary at all!)
To be quite candid, I had really never considered that by simply being myself and sharing my experiences, accomplishments, mistakes, etc., I could actually be helping someone achieve his or her professional goals. I continue to serve as a mentor to several young professionals and the relationships I have forged re-energize me! As an added bonus, by simply interacting with these fine men and women, they teach and/or remind me about career and life lessons.
As leaders, I believe we all have a responsibility to contribute to the growth of those who are aspiring to something in their respective careers. If you consider yourself one of the fortunate ones, please �pay it forward� by proactively seeking opportunities to volunteer your time to share your knowledge and experience!
