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Finding a mentor is not easy. Here is an insightful post about finding your reciprocal mentor and creating an arrangement for success!
Rania Anderson
Build Your Support! Why? Successful women have the right networks, mentors and sponsor. But we regularly hear from women (especially in developing and emerging markets) who report not having mentors or knowing where to start to get the right support. We’re here to help you do just that.
On my path to professional success, I have greatly benefited from a couple of key reciprocal mentoring relationships, and you can too.
In Reciprocal Mentoring, two people with similar levels of achievement and ambition (but with complementary skill sets or networks) agree to regularly co-mentor each other. The co-mentoring relationship can be established within an organization or without an organizational affiliation; the co-mentoring relationship can be among two people from the same or different industries, and with someone of the same or opposite gender.
Co-mentoring is not the same as occasionally – or even regularly – meeting a friend for coffee or lunch and talking about work.
Darcy Howe, a highly successful wealth management advisor, is one of my reciprocal mentors. While we of course have some notable differences, Darcy and I share some key professional and personal similarities, including a history in financial services and working at a large corporation as the foundation to each of our professional experiences. We are approximately the same age and have young adult children. But most importantly, we are in at a similar career stage.
Each of us has enjoyed very successful career progression and has now embarked on pursuing new uncharted and challenging professional objectives. While our objectives are very different, we are both pioneering new territory (for me, it is with The Way Women Work, for Darcy it is serving on a major corporate board).
Although neither of us has achieved what the other is embarking upon, our individual and combined experiences, networks, and skills serve to help the other think differently about our goals. Most importantly, we have great admiration for each other and are not afraid to be direct in our feedback and hold each other accountable to what we commit to do. As an added bonus, we conduct our regular co-mentoring sessions during brisk walks, getting fresh air and exercise while we support each other to further success.
Don’t make the mistake that many women make by undervaluing the positive impact that reciprocal/peer/co-mentoring can have on your career or business.
Don’t make the mistake that many women make by undervaluing the positive impact that reciprocal/peer/co-mentoring can have on your career or business. Don’t believe that relevant mentoring comes only from a more senior or more experienced leader. Just as has been shown with reverse mentoring (wherein a more senior leader is paired with a younger employee) reciprocal mentoring can be extremely beneficial on your path to success in your career or business!
Would having a reciprocal or co-mentoring relationship help your career or business? What are you waiting for? Ask the person you believe can help you today!
This article was first published at The Way Women Work
Rania Anderson is Founder & President of The Way Women Work. She is a global speaker, Executive coach, angel investor and former corporate leader, as well as a forthcoming author.
Pic credit: Valeribb (Used under a CC license)
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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