This month’s training is all about using mentoring to make you more effective.
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PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION
Carol: Hi! I’m Carol Wight.
Katie: And I’m Katie Snapp. Welcome to Skirt Strategies.
Carol: This month we’re bringing you – mentoring month.
Katie: Mentoring for Women in Leadership.
Carol: That’s right.
Katie: You would want to do that because let me tell you – it’s the best way of refining your own skills as helping others.
Carol: It really is. Just to reiterate to others what you believe is important – is very helpful in helping others.
Katie: We kind of have a value system at Skirt Strategies that women helping other’s is part of what drives moving women forward into being more influential and making an impact on the world – not just in the workplace, but also in the world.
So mentoring is our challenge to you this month. And we put in front of you the task of identifying – what is it that you have that you might be able to offer to others?
Carol: Yes.
Katie: And those others would be potential mentees. I know that’s kind of a weird word, but it actually is one.
Potential mentees. Who are those mentees? What could they benefit from?
Carol: Well, also the other side to that coin – is looking for a mentor.
Katie: For yourself. Sure.
Carol: Yes. So look for those people who you might be able to help and teach and train. And then also look for somebody who might be able to help you and teach you more.
Katie: And here’s a tip along that. Because I know a lot of you are thinking, “Oh! I don’t want to start this big hefty relationship with someone. Oh! That makes me nervous. Oh! What if I’m a mentor? What’s going to be expected of me?”
Tip Number 1 – If you don’t know what’s expected of you or you don’t know where you’re going to get your sort of ideas, use Skirt Strategies book. It’s got 249 different areas that are perfect for excelling in becoming better leaders. Pick one of them and make it the topic for the week.
Carol: And it is really easy to get a conversation started around that.
Katie: Secondly – don’t worry about making it the most extensive relationship in the world. Maybe it’s just a one-time conversation. Maybe it’s a challenge around – “Oh, I don’t do meetings so well. I’d like to go ask Susan, if she’ll mentor me for half an hour around how she does meetings because I think she’s a great role model with it. What are some of the tips that she might pass along to me?”
Carol: That’s a fabulous idea.
Katie: Oh!
Carol: Yeah. It doesn’t have to turn into – “This is something we do forever and ever. Amen.” It can be just that easy.
Katie: Yeah. I am the queen of shortcuts.
Carol: Yeah.
Katie: Find something that’s just an easy way. And you know what? It might develop into a long term mentoring relationship.
That leads us to another topic that we’ve talked about a little bit on the website and in some of the blogs. The discussion around mentoring going beyond just mentoring and into what we call “Sponsorships.”
Carol: Alright.
Katie: A sponsor is just a little bit more than a mentor. It’s somebody that might be – as we see in the aerospace industry, they’re giving you top cover, they’re looking out for you, they’re finding instances – maybe networking or social events where they might be able to take you and introduce you.
Carol: Yeah.
Katie: So they’re going just a little bit farther down the road to helping you develop by being more of a connection than just a mentor.
Carol: So you can always ask somebody to sponsor you. And as you’re looking for that person to mentor you – somebody that you really look up to and it doesn’t have to be a woman. But if you could find a woman leader that can mentor you, it’s so much better – because you can pull on that style.
Katie: You appreciate their roles.
Carol: Rather than trying to be somebody you’re not.
Katie: Sure. Yeah.
Carol: So that is one reason we try to stay within the female realm on this mentoring idea.
Katie: Yeah. Well, I’ll tell you what? Those of you that are in mentoring relationships or getting ready to start, please keep in touch with us on the website.
I’m assuming that if you’re getting this video, you’ve subscribed to getting a mailing for us at skirtstrategies.com. If not, please make sure that you do that.
We will send you these tips every month. We also keep you fine-tuned with a lot of other areas with Skirt Strategies.
Carol: And don’t forget – membership at Skirt Strategies is only $27 a month.
Katie: Yeah. It’s pretty affordable.
Carol: You are very much worth it. Believe me.
Katie: Join us.
Carol: It really gives you that extra added edge that’s just beyond and it gives you some focus accountability that you don’t get otherwise and you don’t get necessarily in these videos.
But we love bringing you the videos and we will be here. But we really love you to become a member.
Katie: One of our pack.
Carol: Yeah.
Katie: Okay. That’s good for this month.
Carol: Yes.
Katie: We’ll see you next month. Have a great one and keep in touch with us online.
Carol: Bye, bye now.
[END OF TRANSCRIPT]
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