Skip to content
  • Services
  • About
  • Partners
  • Work
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Services
  • About
  • Partners
  • Work
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • Contact
December 10, 2019

The Importance of Mentorship for Growth

Product

I joined the tech industry over 13 years ago without any formal training or education. While my path was atypical and not something I’d planned, I have been able to grow and excel beyond what I thought was possible. It’s easy for me to outline how I was able to achieve success. From my first job as a manual QA tester to my current role at Modus Create doing all the things, I have been extremely lucky to have people invest in me and mentor me.

Mentorship can be formal or informal. For me, the organic mentoring relationships I’ve found have been the most prosperous. Having the self-awareness to realize you can grow is as key as having the aptitude to take the information others provide you and process it. Personally, the best mentoring and coaching has come as direct feedback, advice, and criticism, in fight or flight situations. It has made me uncomfortable, frustrated, and upset. It also drove me to make changes to improve. Most people don’t criticize because they want to upset you; they offer criticism because they know you can do and be better. Consider it a challenge, not a personal attack.

A mentor does not need to be your boss or someone in a direct leadership role. The best mentors I’ve found are those that I admire from a professional standpoint and learn from. They also have to be willing to teach, work alongside me, and be open to hearing ideas from me as well. It requires the mentor and mentee to have a mutual respect for one another. Both people need to be able to be honest and know they are within a safety zone. Like any relationship, it cannot be one-sided.

To date, I’ve found great mentorship from a variety of people in my network. Another female leader in technology, product, and remote work, who also happens to be my best friend :), was the first person to take me under her wing and see the potential. I’ve also had great leaders and bosses from within my current company, Modus Create, and others from previous companies I’ve worked for. These people all have something in common—they have decided I am worth investing in. By pure coincidence, they are all very direct and not afraid to challenge me (ENTJ for those Myers Briggs fans—while I am a comfortable ENFP.) I’ve learned that those are the people I learn from and work best with because they have no issue pushing me.

Because I have grown so much by having great mentors, it also made me cognizant that I can give back and be a mentor to others. While I would never claim to be an expert in mentorship, I do believe sharing information, praise, opportunities, and criticism helps people grow and improve. This isn’t always easy. For me, providing criticism is barely easier than receiving it. In my opinion, the key is in the delivery. How can you turn the situation into a coaching moment for the mentee? Telling someone their approach sucked is not helpful. Explaining why it did not accomplish the desired results is what is needed. No one sets out on a task trying to fail. We have to always assume positive intent.

Finding a mentor can be hard. Some tips to help:

  • Find someone internal or external to your organization that you look up to. Reach out and see if they are willing to work with you. I’ve seen this work in many ways… from a simple weekly one-on-one to bounce ideas off of each other to formal training and shadowing. Figure out what works for you! It may be different depending on who you are working with.
  • If your manager or boss is willing to teach and mentor you, take them up on it! Not only is it a great opportunity to learn more about the workings of your company, it also gives your manager visibility into your day to day challenges. The accountability is huge! It will drive you to be better. But be prepared to have higher expectations set and remember that excuses won’t go far. Be results and solution oriented.
  • Determine if your employer has a formalized mentorship program. Sometimes, these can be very helpful to at least meet new people that can open your eyes to see the bigger picture.

Whether you call it mentoring, coaching, idea sharing, or something else, the key is finding the right people that push and drive you to be the BEST you. Most successful leaders in any company have a list of mentors from throughout their careers. Success is not built in a vacuum for anyone. In an industry like technology, where things change as fast as we master them, find your tribe and hold on tight. And be sure to pay it forward to those that come after you!

Posted in Product
Share this

Sarah McCasland

Sarah McCasland is Director of Delivery Management and an advocate of remote work, agile methodologies, and process improvement. Sarah has spent the last 10 years working with development teams to deliver products in a variety of industries while helping teams grow and excel. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys running, traveling, being a tea snob, and trying new wines.
Follow

Related Posts

  • Growth via Mobility
    “Please sir, I want some more”… growth via mobility

    In prior posts I’ve discussed two common contexts for mobility initiatives: business model disruption (uh…

  • Empowering Personal And Professional Growth
    Empowering Personal And Professional Growth

    Those who are constantly exploring, growing, and sharing information tend to be strong communicators, be…

Subscribe to the Modus Newsletter

Receive the latest insights from our team each month.

Let's Chat

If forms aren’t your thing, you can always call us (+1-855-721-7223).

Modus-Logo-Primary-White.svg
  • Services
  • About
    • Newsroom
  • Partners
  • Work
  • Insights
    • Blog
    • Modus Labs
  • Careers
Virginia (US)

12100 Sunset Hills Road
Suite 150
Reston, Virginia, 20190
Tel: +1-855-721-7223

California (US)
12130 Millennium Dr

Los Angeles, CA 90094

Missouri (US)
609 E High St

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Romania

Str. Mihai Veliciu, no. 17
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Tel: +40-0786-887-444

Costa Rica

2nd Floor, Plaza Koros, Av 3
San José, Santa Ana, Costa Rica

© 2021 Modus. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement | Sitemap

Scroll To Top
This website uses cookies.
These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience, and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.

Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Save & Accept