What once was considered to be a one-way street certainly is no longer the case.  Today’s most successful mentoring relationships take on several forms, all designed to help the people on both sides of the equation.

Growing our careers and doing engaging work we’re good at are goals all of us strive for. There are many options to continue to develop new skills and experience – attending workshops, reading books or blogs, listening to podcasts, viewing self-study resources –  the possibilities are endless. One of the most meaningful development tools that often goes unexplored is mentoring. 

According to a recent study, 76% of people think mentors are important, but only 37% have one. At Acxiom, we found similar stats when we asked our associates if they had a mentor – less than 40% of our people did. In a recent event hosted by our Acxiom Women LEAD group, we tried to bust the myths surrounding mentoring to encourage our people to explore a mentoring relationship and to realize they might already have one. 

Myth #1 – There’s really just one kind of mentoring relationship

When many people think of mentoring, they assume the traditional relationship of a more senior person guiding a junior person is the only kind of mentoring. In reality, there are many types of mentoring relationships that can be rewarding for both the mentee and the mentor. In addition to traditional mentoring, these are a few other mentoring relationships to consider:

Group –  one mentor is teamed with several mentees who meet at the same time. All have their own experience and insight to share and can draw their own learning from the discussion.​

Reverse – Mentoring of a senior person (in terms of age, experience, or position) by a junior individual aims to help more senior people learn from the knowledge of less tenured people.​

On-the-Job – Sharing expertise on a specific tool, technology, or competency as part of day-to-day interactions between team members

Mentoring Network – Identifying the skills or competencies a person wants to develop and building relationships with more than one person who is strong in those skills

Reciprocal Mentoring – All parties share insights and act as both mentor and mentee​

Myth #2 – Mentoring probably isn’t worth the time. I’m not sure it has a lasting impact

One of the highlights of the Women LEAD mentoring events was a mentoring network panel discussion facilitated by Carman McKenna-McWilliams, VP of Client Management, who has been with Acxiom for more than 30 years. Carmen was fortunate to have a great mentor early in her career, so she learned the value of these relationships early on, which helped her prioritize mentoring as a development tool. 

The panel was unique in that it was composed of people in Carmen’s mentoring network over the course of her career – people she had mentored, those who had mentored her, and reciprocal mentoring relationships – and included people who have gone on to pursue careers outside Acxiom. The impact of these relationships was significant – true career growth and increased satisfaction were clearly evident in the stories the panel shared. 

Myth #3 – I’m too early or too experienced in my career to need a mentor

Because there are many kinds of mentoring relationships, there is never a wrong time to have a mentor – or to be a mentor. People new in their careers would be well-served to take the advice panelist Dana Goff, SVP Industry Strategist, shared: “Early in my career, something that was really important to me and something I’d recommend to anybody early in their career is … knowing your job is important but knowing the job that is to your left and knowing the job to your right can be also tremendously important to you and to those around you.” Dana shared that understanding not only your responsibilities but the responsibilities of those around you can be so incredibly helpful to make your work more meaningful, build your network, and help you do your best work. 

Glenn Crockett, former Acxiom leader and current CEO of Dave Creek Media, spoke to the importance of having mentors around you, whatever your level or experience. He meets regularly with CEOs of other businesses as they learn from each other and share best practices. Of one relationship, he described, “Sometimes it’s me helping him with something, sometimes it’s him helping me with something, back and forth.” For those who are more experienced, exploring a reverse mentoring relationship can be a valuable experience as well. 

Myth #4 – I can’t be a mentor because I need to have all the answers, and I don’t!

Mentoring isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about being willing to share your unique expertise and experience to invest in others. Below you’ll find some best practices to equip you to get started with mentoring:

Getting started: 

• Quiet your inner critic – don’t let negative self-talk hold you back from considering being a mentor. Your experience and expertise are unique and can be valuable in helping others. 

In the relationship:

• Take a genuine interest in your mentee and his or her success.​

• Help the mentee identify specific and realistic goals and be accountable to each other​.
• Be a positive role model​.
• Be authentic and open.
• Provide support, guidance, and feedback – positive and constructive.​
• Introduce them to your network.​
• Build trust and maintain confidentiality.​

Reach out for help if you need it:

• If the relationship isn’t working, don’t be afraid to pivot or seek advice from a more experienced mentor.  

Mentoring, in its many forms, can be a powerful and helpful tool for development. Hopefully, some of the myths surrounding this tool have been busted for our Acxiom associates – and for you! If your curiosity has been piqued, consider getting started with a mentoring relationship today. 

If you are interested in joining our team, where we foster mentoring relationships and associate growth, check out our Careers page to learn more about us.