Mentoring & Thought Partnership

First off: We are not selling anything! So put your credit card back in your wallet. If anything, we are looking to buy! In our frequent conversations about work life and private life, we discovered that mentoring is (and always has been) a central theme in our personal and professional development. The many mentors who have walked parts of our lives alongside us had significant impact on how we tackle challenges, on how we interact with others, and on how we view ourselves. Shocker: That last point is certainly the most important one and also the main reason for why we continue to seek out mentors and thought partners.

The best mentors didn’t show us how to do something. They also didn’t give us feedback - at least the ones who had the largest impacts on us didn’t. Instead, they showed us the many things we can do; they made us think about the many angles any challenge or opportunity may present, and they made us reflect on those we already experienced. They contextualized, they encouraged, they lent experience where we did not have it, and they even allowed us to tap into their networks.

Suze Orman, bestselling author on personal finance said:

Now, for the ‘looking to buy’ part: While we continue to be mentees, both of us have, increasingly, taken on the role of mentor and thought partner. To be selected as a mentor is an incredible honor and infinitely rewarding. The growth we seek to impart as mentors is mutually shared with our mentees thanks to the exchange of perspectives. Mentoring nurtures empathy, sharpens precise communication, and enriches our view of the world. As an added bonus, it also expands our network and allows us to find new talent in our respective industries.

That must sound like Rebekah Neumann’s vision of WeWork being to ‘elevate the world’s consciousness’. So maybe an example or two may help to illustrate what we mean.

René: Last year, I had the opportunity to have many insightful conversations with an experienced technology professional who sought to make a move into product management. I like to think that I was able to show her ways in which her experience and skills translated from one discipline to the other and that she approached the next product interview with confidence, and maybe even with a little pizzazz. For me, the weeks of off-and-on conversations were invaluable, as I created a MindMap of Product Management dimensions that I have since used to draft job descriptions, structure interviews for my own hiring needs, and reflect on professional development for my teams and myself.

Alexander: I was approached by an associate with the following question: Should he pursue a PhD or LLM? Certainly a decision with many variables and potentially significant consequences. Together, we explored many questions that let me reflect on my own decision to pursue a PhD years ago. Questions like: Where are you going to practice law? What is your specific area of expertise and what credentials are most sought-after in your field? Which degree opens up more opportunities for your vision of the future? What are you signaling to potential employers and clients alike with either degree? I recognized during our conversation that I am not benefitting from my PhD to the same extent as I did 15 years ago, but that I also wouldn’t want to part with it - helpful context for the both of us!

If this section appeals to you, get in touch with us here for a conversation.