Words: Lisa Melrose, GÉANT
‘The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities’ — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
If you’re keen to excel in your role and broaden your professional network, prioritising personal development is crucial. But with tight deadlines, meetings, and travel, it’s easy for learning activities, such as researching new topics or learning new skills, to slip down the to-do list.
Mentoring is a powerful development tool, offering substantial benefits for both Mentees and Mentors. The challenge often lies in finding time to get started. What if you could streamline the mentoring process and still ensure a great match? Can you make personal development a priority without the hassle?
Time to develop
Eva Nestorovska, researcher and GÉANT (GN5-1) Project Task Leader at PSNC, sums up a positive mentoring partnership: “Having someone you trust who understands you and supports your growth is invaluable. What’s even better is that it’s a mutually beneficial relationship!”
Mentoring offers significant rewards for both mentees and mentors. For mentees, it opens doors to career opportunities and expands professional networks. Mentors get the chance to enhance their leadership skills and gain fresh perspectives on their industry. Donal Cunningham from HEAnet reflects, “I’ve learnt a great deal about how the profession appears to someone just starting their networking career. Meanwhile, my mentee has made impressive strides toward a career in network engineering.” GEM Mentors also benefit from being able to charge for their mentoring time commitment from the GÉANT (GN5-1) Project (WP1T5).
GEM platform finds the time!
Finding the right mentor or mentee can be tricky and time-consuming. You must find a potential candidate in your organisation and make the sometimes ‘awkward’ first contact. Potential mismatches waste valuable time and cause frustration.
Enter GEM! GEM’s platform with its advanced matching technology has changed the game for female mentees and their mentors across the GÉANT community.
GEM Mentees have found it easy to set their profiles with specific development goals and skills. They then step back and let the platform do the work, effectively matching them with suitable mentors and even generating a match ‘score’. This streamlined approach ensures meaningful mentoring connections are made with individuals who know what they can both bring to the mentoring partnership.
Time to get organised
Matched with the perfect mentor but struggling to fit meetings into your busy schedule? The GEM platform makes it a breeze. Its scheduling tool syncs with calendars to manage meetings effortlessly. Treat the mentoring sessions as essential learning opportunities and move them to the top of your to-do list!
Pilot participants have also praised GEM’s session agendas. They help both parties understand the purpose and focus of each meeting with minimal preparation time and offer flexibility in choosing the length of the mentoring partnership. Customisable agendas help both parties to articulate objectives for each meeting and adapt as goals evolve, ensuring productive and focused meetings.
Time to listen
Reflecting on and recording the information from each mentoring session is vital for making the most of the relationship. Francisca Martín-Vergara from the University of Malaga notes “Valuable feedback and support from my mentor has been crucial to developing my skills and expanding my professional connections.”
Recording this feedback can be a chore, but GEM simplifies it by providing a central place to record development goals and notes. Another participant commented that noting and acting on the top three takeaways after each session significantly boosted her development and confidence.
Time to find your mentoring match!
Time moves quickly, but your personal development doesn’t have to fall behind. GEM’s platform simplifies mentoring with accurate partner matching and hassle-free scheduling. Making time for mentoring time is crucial to empower and retain talent and share expert knowledge and advice across our community.
To find your mentoring match, find out more and register on GEM today!
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