Mentoring, a resourceful upcycling opportunity
By Sandy Beky
Last November 8th about fifty of us gathered in one of the rooms of the very prestigious Société d’Encouragement de l’Industrie on the Place Saint Germain in Paris to launch the new career and leadership mentoring cohort for 2017-2018. Last November 8th about fifty of us gathered in one of the rooms of the very prestigious Société d’Encouragement de l’Industrie on the Place Saint Germain in Paris to launch the new career and leadership mentoring cohort for 2017-2018.
It was quite emotional to be facing all the newly-matched mentoring pairs as my memory travelled back to year 2006 when PWN Paris had launched the very first mentoring wave. More than a decade later, mentoring still proves a powerful companion in the professional journey of women as well as an indisputable lever for their career development. With more than 500 mentoring pairs formalized since inception, PWN Paris mentoring program is definitely one of the building blocks of the network, expanding in the last few years into reverse mentoring and double glass ceiling mentoring (for women facing gender and cultural discriminations). I wouldn’t probably be in the position I am today, if it weren’t for the guidance of multiple informal and formal mentors, I have been privileged to cross path with, in my professional life. Equally my experience as a mentor has given me the opportunity to develop a much deeper understanding of my own career path and leadership impact.
By being a power free and two-way mutually beneficial relationship based on experience and life lessons sharing, mentoring conveys strong altruistic values. As a passionate expert in circular economy I also see mentoring as a wonderful vehicle to upcycle one’s mistakes and failures; allowing them to become an insightful lantern not only shedding new light on our own path but also on the path of someone else for whom the upfront knowledge of those setbacks will be valuable information in their decision-making and action-taking. Mentoring makes every hurdle or pitfall a learning asset and a resource never to be wasted. If you don’t know what to do with it, go and share it, it might make a meaningful difference in someone else’s journey. There resides the beauty of mentoring: meshing generous souls, professional trajectories for a long-lasting impact.
I would like to wish an amazing self-discovery journey to all the PWN Paris career and leadership mentoring pairs. Thank you for being part of the program and thank you for being a reason to believe in its value. Your participation is a much appreciated recognition of the contribution of all the volunteers who, every year since 2006, have made this program a landmark event.
And more than ever have fun and fully enjoy this mentoring ride! |
