About a 1 min. read
To round out National Mentoring Month, we felt it would be fitting to highlight CMB’s efforts in this area. CMB has robust mentoring programs to ensure we share our strengths across the organization, continuing to cultivate our collaborative and supportive culture. But our commitment goes beyond our internal walls. CMB is a proud member of the Insights Association’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Council whose mission is to deliver measurement, education, and standards of excellence to address the lack of representation in the insights profession and the populations it researches. CMB is also a founding member of the IDEAtor Fellowship Program, a remote working apprenticeship program for diverse college graduates, vocational or early career professionals that are seeking to learn, explore, and gain practical real work experience within the insights industry. It brings together leading insights organizations from across the research, insights & data analytics industry who work in partnership to sponsor, host, and enable this unique immerse exploration of our industry.
Over the past 6 months as a Mentor in the program, my relationship with my mentee has developed in surprising ways. What started as a “typical” sequence of questions (Research 101 of sorts), has developed into providing context and real explanation of research tasks. These conversations seemed to really have an impact–providing unbiased perspectives and highlighting real-life examples of why and how. My 25+ years of experience managing research projects and operations was extremely useful in these scenarios!
However, the real impact/connection (for me and the mentee) came with the “other” topics such as: professional development, life experiences, family, goals, fears, etc. These conversations were deep, personal, and impactful (to us both). I realized it’s easy to think about your role as a mentor in terms of work guidance, but the mentorship around life skills is just as important. To share personal experiences and vulnerabilities not only builds trust, but also creates bridges to further develop your connection.
The learning has been on both sides. I have learned that my value and impact extends way beyond my “research knowledge.” Sharing those daily skills, approaches and perspectives are critical, and allow the role of the mentor to expand beyond advisor to role model, counselor, advocate, and ally.
How has mentorship impacted your life? Let’s celebrate the power of mentorship, #ThankYourMentor, and engage in our communities. After all, one conversation, one experience, and one mentor(ee) can change a life.