684: How to Be a Better Mentor, with Ruth Gotian

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Jun 10, 2024

Ruth Gotian, Chief Learning Officer and an expert in mentorship, shares her insights on effective mentoring. She emphasizes that great mentors blend coaching and sponsorship with a focus on celebrating mentee successes. Informal mentoring often yields better results, and opening your network is essential for a mentee's growth. The discussion introduces the idea of the 'sophisticated barbarian,' promoting deep, challenging dialogues. Documentation of mentoring journeys can help track progress and enhance learning, showcasing the transformative power of mentoring relationships.

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ADVICE

Focus on Good Work

Focus on helping others and doing good work, regardless of labels like mentor, coach, or consultant.
Strive to make a positive impact on others' days.

INSIGHT

Informal Mentoring

Most mentoring relationships (61%) develop organically, not through formal requests.
Informal mentoring tends to be more effective than formal programs.

ADVICE

Formal Mentoring Programs

Formal mentoring programs are valuable for those lacking access, especially underrepresented groups.
Ensure formal programs have an exit ramp for mismatched pairings and training for both mentors and mentees.

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Ruth Gotian: The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring

Ruth Gotian is the Chief Learning Officer and Associate Professor of Education in Anaesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has been hailed by Nature and The Wall Street Journal as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. Thinkers50 has ranked her the #1 emerging management thinker in the world and she’s a top LinkedIn voice in mentoring. Ruth is the author of The Success Factor and now along with Andy Lopata, The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring*.

We’ve all heard about the benefits of mentoring. In addition to receiving mentoring, great leaders give back by providing it to others. In this episode, Ruth and I discuss what the research shows that the best mentors do well.

Key Points

Effective mentors use a combination of skills in coaching, sponsorship, role-modeling, and mentoring to support the situation.
Informal mentoring tends to be more effective than formal pairings. 61% of mentoring relationships develop organically.
Open up your network to your mentee. It’s an essential way to support their growth — and yours.
Park your ego at the door. Instead, allow your mentee to shine. With their permission, amplify their achievements.
Take the role of “sophisticated barbarian.” Approach mentee situations with knowledge and experience, but with distance and objectivity of their other, daily interactions.
Document the challenges, accomplishments, and next steps during mentoring. This helps your mentee recognize accomplishments and grow their confidence.

Resources Mentioned

The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring by Ruth Gotian and Andy Lopata

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

How to Build a Network While Still Doing Everything Else, with Ruth Gotian (episode 591)
The Art of Mentoring Well, with Robert Lefkowitz (episode 599)
The Way to Get Noticed by Key Stakeholders, with Daphne E. Jones (episode 614)

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