Tips for Mentorship and Career Journey Conversations

My growth as an Individual Contributor across Amazon, Uber, PayPal, and Google wasn't an individual effort. It was a journey shaped by phenomenal leaders who invested in my development every step of the way. Working at some of the most inspiring companies, I've been truly blessed to have amazing guides along the way. From my first agency internship with Susan Elmore, to Becky Zavala, MBA Zavala at Dow Chemical, Natalie Domond in Amazon Operations, Christina Sorenson who gave me my first corporate role on the Amazon Incentives team, Ricky Rios my first manager in NYC leading our team through a new Amazon product launch, Nancy Joyce Ghosh at Uber and Purva Bhandari at Paul Murray Google. Each of these leaders took a chance on me and came from such different backgrounds. Their guidance allowed me to gain exposure to diverse strategic approaches, learn how to tailor communication for different audiences, think outside the box to solve tough problems, confidently promote my skills, and engage effectively with senior leadership. Having strong managers has played a monumental role in my career, and I am truly grateful for the lessons learned from their unique leadership styles. Here are some key tips I've learned that you can apply with your managers: - Structure Your 1:1s: Use your one-on-one meetings to highlight areas where you need clarity on prioritization or where your manager can help remove blockers for you. - Seek Exposure: Volunteer to shadow or sit in on meetings with your manager. This is invaluable for gaining additional exposure to what that next level looks like and how decisions are made. - Communicate Your Goals: Clearly articulate your career goals and the skills you want to develop. This enables your managers to actively seek out opportunities for you when they arise. - Ask for Real-Time Feedback: Always ask for open feedback in real-time. This allows you to course-correct immediately and continuously improve your performance and approach. A huge thank you to everyone who's been instrumental in my career journey! Your guidance has made all the difference. #Mentorship #CareerGrowth #Leadership #InterviewSuccess #CareerAdvice #MyJourneyToTech #ProfessionalDevelopment

Last week, my son, a college freshman, had his first meeting with his mentor. Imagine my surprise when he sought my advice ;) — I guess parents are worth something after all 😁 It's a significant milestone, and it got me thinking about the essence of effective mentoring given my own experience as a mentor and mentee. While there's an abundance of literature on this topic, including a recent piece by Harvard Business Review, many tend to skim the surface, offering broad, somewhat simplistic advice. Reflecting on this, I penned down some tailored guidance, which I believe might be valuable to others embarking on this journey. Here's what I shared: 1. Embrace the art of listening: Your first meeting is more about tuning in than speaking out. Show a genuine interest in your mentor's narrative. Inquire about their professional voyage - how it began, the decisions they navigated, and the turning points. 2. Seek wisdom, not just facts: Ask about the lessons they've learned along the way. What would they do differently if they could rewind the clock? Their hindsight can become your foresight. 3. Prepare, Prepare and then Prepare more: Before seeking advice on specific decisions like program selection, job opportunities, or electives, make sure you've done your homework. Understanding your own choices deeply enriches the conversation and the guidance you receive. 4. Explore beyond academics: Ask about the activities they engaged in outside their formal education or job that propelled their career - be it internships, part-time roles, additional courses, or club memberships. Understanding their strategies and how these choices shaped their path can offer practical steps for your own journey. In my own experience, a long term relationship with your mentor can be rewarding for both and has the potential to be truly transformative. What are some other non-obvious tips for speaking to your mentor/mentee? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #mentorship #relationships #student #learning #mentors

Tried finding a mentor and got crickets? It's probably not you, it's the system. We've all heard the hype – find a great mentor, change your life. But the reality? Finding someone who's the right fit, available, and truly invested in you can feel like searching for a unicorn. The problem is, we're often sold this idea that mentorship is about finding that one perfect, all-knowing person to guide our journey. But what if there was a better way? A way that empowers you and puts your growth in the driver's seat? 🔑 Forget the 'perfect' mentor. Focus on the dynamic. Instead of chasing an elusive mentor ideal, shift your focus to building a mentorship dynamic. This means finding people slightly ahead of you on your chosen path, who are willing to share their knowledge and insights. 🔑 Why this speeds up your growth: ▶ Targeted knowledge: They've recently faced the challenges you're facing now. Their solutions are fresh and relevant. ▶ Mutual benefit: As a mentee, you offer value too! Your questions and fresh perspective make them rethink their own process. ▶ Less intimidating: They're closer to your level, making it easier to connect and be honest about your challenges. 🤔 So, how do you actually make this happen? 🔑 Seek out the sharers: Look for people doing podcasts, writing articles, or being active in their industry community. These are the people genuinely interested in passing knowledge forward. The Mentorship Cycle: 1. Reach out with a specific question demonstrating you value their expertise. 2. Listen intently, then TAKE ACTION on their advice. 3. Report back! Share your results, whether successful or not. This shows respect and helps them refine their advice. 4. Ask a new, deeper question. Rinse and repeat! This is growth on your terms. By building a reciprocal mentorship dynamic, you take control. You learn proactively, gain confidence from action, and create mutually beneficial relationships that can evolve over time. 🍿 The creative boost you didn't see coming 🍿 This approach isn't just about knowledge transfer or career growth – it's a catalyst for your creativity! Here's why: Busting out of your bubble: Connecting with someone outside your usual circle exposes you to new ways of thinking, sparking fresh ideas. Action fuels inspiration: Taking action on their advice, then seeing results, reinforces your belief in your own ability to create and problem-solve. Accountability breeds output: Knowing you'll be reporting back creates a healthy pressure to actually execute on those ideas, not just let them linger. This mentorship dynamic isn't a replacement for those times when you might need in-depth guidance from a seasoned expert. But for day-to-day growth, overcoming creative hurdles, and building momentum, it's a surprisingly powerful tool. 🙅♂️ Tip of the day: Tag someone that you want to build a mentor relationship with in the comments.

Embracing the Role of a Mentor: Empowering New Professionals We have a wonderful opportunity to give back to our community and shape the future of our industries. One of the most rewarding ways to do this is by offering mentorship to those just starting their careers. Mentoring not only benefits the mentees but also enhances our own growth as leaders. Here are some great tips, add more to the comments! Be Approachable and Open: Create an environment where new professionals feel comfortable reaching out for guidance. Offer a friendly and non-intimidating demeanor that encourages them to share their thoughts and questions openly. Listen Actively: Take the time to actively listen to your mentees' aspirations, challenges, and concerns. By understanding their unique needs and goals, you can tailor your mentorship to provide the most valuable insights . Set Clear Expectations: Right from the start, establish clear expectations for the mentorship relationship. Discuss the frequency of meetings, preferred communication channels, and specific areas of focus to ensure both parties are aligned. Share Your Experiences: Draw from your own experiences, both successes, and failures, to provide valuable insights. Real-life stories can be incredibly impactful and help mentees navigate their own paths. Encourage Goal-Setting: Help your mentees set realistic short-term and long-term goals. Guide them in creating actionable plans to achieve these objectives, and provide support and motivation along the way. Expose Them to Opportunities: Offer exposure to new opportunities, such as workshops, conferences, or networking events. This can broaden their horizons and help them build valuable connections within the industry. Challenge and Encourage Growth: Mentorship is not just about offering praise. Encourage your mentees to step out of their comfort zones, embrace challenges, and foster growth. Constructive feedback is key to their professional development. Be a Role Model: Lead by example. Demonstrate the values and work ethic you want your mentees to adopt. Your actions speak louder than words, and they will look up to you as a role model. Respect Their Individuality: Recognize that each mentee is unique, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Tailor your approach to meet their individual needs and learning styles. Celebrate Their Successes: Acknowledge and celebrate your mentees' achievements, both big and small. Positive reinforcement boosts their confidence and motivates them to excel further. Stay Committed: Mentorship is an ongoing process, and it takes time to see meaningful results. Be patient, committed, and supportive throughout the journey. By providing mentorship to new professionals, we can make a profound impact on their careers and the industry as a whole. Let's continue to pay it forward and empower the next generation of leaders! #MentorshipMatters #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth 

It’s the career conversations you wish you’d had that can change the course of your life. So how can you have them? When people contact me for career coaching, there’s usually a belief that their current workplace doesn’t support them, that there’s no room for growth, that opportunities are limited, that their needs can’t be met, and that they aren’t valued. Sometimes it’s true. But most people have never had the conversation to find out. Only the most proactive employees ask for the conversation. So sometimes I orchestrate it. In a strengths-based leadership program and in the MBA career class I’m teaching, I implemented a “Career Conversation” assignment into the requirements. It’s my attempt to move up the conversation about “my needs, my value, my career opportunities here” from the point of leaving to the present. See, when people leave an organization it’s always, “My needs weren’t met, I didn’t feel valued, I don’t see opportunities there…” But what if we had that conversation proactively? What if managers invited it? Here’s an agenda of discussion items for your “Career Conversation:” ✔️My strengths and how I am using them and how I can use them more ✔️What’s draining me and options to shift things ✔️Contributions I’d love to make ✔️How I’d like to grow and where I’d like to go next ✔️Training or education available to help me reach my goals ✔️Realistic timelines for reaching these goals ✔️Opportunities to increase compensation I’ve seen some incredible things happen in these conversations. There are almost always more opportunities than you can see. ⭐️If you are someone pondering a job change, what would it take to have this internal conversation first? What do you have to lose? You can still leave, but at least you’ll know. ⭐️ If you are a manager, how could you proactively invite this conversation to retain your employees and help them grow before you have to have the conversation as they give their notice? Even if you know you’re job searching, consider that making a move internally might be more possible than you think. You won’t know until you’ve truly had the conversation.

Did you know? A simple conversation could change someone's career trajectory. I learned it the hard way. Years back, I invested in a fancy mentorship program. You know, the serious types with binders and checklists. It flopped. People weren’t engaged. They wanted something else. Something genuine. Flash forward to today. I ditched the binders. Now I go for walks. Coffee chats. Real talks about fears and dreams. And guess what? It's working wonders. Here's why. Mindful mentorship isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about intentional leadership. It's about: - Listening (Really listening) - Understanding (Even the unsaid) - Guiding (Without hand-holding) I'm talking about growth. Not growth for the sake of it, but growth with a purpose. It's simple, yet profound. Here are my go-to principles: 1. Ask questions that spark reflection. 2. Share stories that inspire action. 3. Offer challenges that foster resilience. Lead with mindfulness. Your team will notice. They'll do more than grow. They'll thrive. Join me in making mindful mentorship a thing. Because let’s be real—binders don’t make leaders, conversations do. #leadership #mentorship #mindfulness #growth #evolvefam

Giving back what we have learned is a way for others to identify their potential and grow in ways you couldn't even imagine. Thank you to Monroe County Family Coalition for the invitation to speak to some incredible local women at various stages in their life's journey. Having this opportunity was not only a blessing but one of the most rewarding parts of my weekend. The discussion this time was around, centering on what I have learned through my experiences, research, mistakes, and my reflective self-discovery journey: "The World of Work Today: Finding Purpose & Passion While Driving Impact" We all want to do something that we love to do, playing more to our strengths in an environment where we feel safe and that we belong while surrounding ourselves with people who enable us to become the best versions of ourselves. However, our approach is usually to look forward rather than reflect backward to design our personal and professional destination of success as well as happiness. When we are doing something that we love and we set the right intention our ability to positively impact someone else's story becomes infinitely more possible. Here are some of the keys for anyone who was not able to join us this time! 1. Start Your Self-Reflective Journey Begin by understanding yourself, your strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals. Looking backward to move forwards may seem counterproductive but this is critical to designing that "vision board for both personal and professional success." Arming you with the information you need and providing clarity to what you want. 2. Intention Drives Our Attention & Action This ultimately becomes of personal and professional mix tape, what are you listening to? 3. Find Your Tribe Once you have a sense of self, find like-minded individuals or communities who share your interests and goals. They can help you uncover strengths you never knew but also give you ways to effectively translate these skills and strengths while interviewing. 3. Mentors and Sponsors Identify mentors who can offer guidance based on their experience and sponsors who can advocate for your professional growth. Understand the difference as they both serve a purpose in our customized development and career path. 4. Network to Get Work Your Network is your net worth as they say and also when it comes to finding new careers, it is about who you know not what you know in most cases. Just look at Influencers, they understand the power of social capital. 5. Build Your Brand Develop and showcase your personal brand. This involves crafting a compelling narrative about yourself, highlighting your strengths and unique qualities, to give them more insights about your potential than a resume ever could. By contributing to the success of others you will learn from their wisdom, strengthen your network, and could just be the spark that someone else needs to achieve their dream and full potential. #giveback #community #rochesterny #leadup

🌟 Cate Luzio on How #Mentorship Helped Her Leap From Corporate Executive to Luminary Founder 🌟 During a recent episode of my #FabulousOver40 Fireside Chat 🔥 series, I had the pleasure of interviewing the amazing Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary — a global professional networking platform for women and their allies. Cate’s founder story is without question, a testament to the transformative power of mentorship in navigating career inflection points. As a seasoned 20+ year corporate executive, Cate never imagined herself stepping out of the security and familiarity of corporate life. However it was her long-time mentor and sponsor Don McCree, who planted the seed of entrepreneurship in Cate's mind, and encouraged her to broaden her influence outside of corporate. Don, who now serves as Vice Chair, Head of Commercial Banking at Citizens, previously worked with Cate at J.P. Morgan, and knew that she was a superstar destined for more greatness and more impact. As Don challenged Cate during one of their catch-up meetings, “Do you want to keep working for a big bank — or do you want to have a different kind of impact?” This conversation was the catalyst for Cate's career pivot. And In just eight months, she went from drafting a business plan to launching Luminary. Cate's journey illustrates how the power of mentorship can open our eyes to possibilities, and inspire us to harness our skills in new, impactful ways we've never considered. Based on Cate's story, here are some additional tips on how to effectively nurture mentor relationships in today’s dynamic work environment: 👉🏾 Be Open to Challenge: A great mentor doesn't just support — but challenges our thinking. Be open to these challenges as they often lead to growth and new opportunities. 👉🏾 Establish Regular, Consistent Communication: Keep the lines of communication open with mentors, sponsors, etc. Regular check-ins can lead to invaluable insights, advice, and magical career moments. 👉🏾 Be Intentional and Take Action: Don't just listen, but also act based on feedback. This demonstrates how you value input from mentorship, and your commitment to growth. 👉🏾 Provide Mutual Value and Reciprocity: Remember, mentorship is a two-way street. Always think about how you can bring value to your mentor. This invites a deeper, more meaningful connection. Again, Cate’s story is a powerful reminder of how mentorship can be a game-changer... Especially during those mid-career moments when we are at the crossroads of transition, transformation, and mastery. Let's go. 🚀 #NationalMentoringMonth #careers #pivot #ProfessionalGrowth #Leadership #WeAreLuminary #midcareer #midcareermastery

Mentorship and sponsorship are key elements of building our talent and strengthening our future leaders at Lockheed Martin. Mentorship is advice; sponsorship is a step further toward advocacy.   By taking the time to listen to employees share what they want to do and where they want to go in their career development, leaders can provide better tailored advice and guidance.   When someone asks me a career development question, I ask them to take me through their background, share what experiences they have, and mention what gaps could be filled.   From a listening and mentorship perspective, I can then suggest an assignment to help fill those gaps or direct them to a specific mentor. When I hear of a special assignment or team opening that fits an employee’s career goals, how I advocate for an employee to be part of that opportunity is sponsorship.   As senior leaders, it’s important to take an active role as both a mentor and a sponsor in supporting employees across their career development.   How have you mentored or sponsored someone? Have you been a mentor or a sponsor for someone? How did the experience make a difference for you/them? #engineeringexcellence #mentorshipmatters #sponsorshipmatters #careerdevelopment