“We see mentoring as a peer relationship where both parties learn and grow in different ways”

Executive Coach Patrick McMaster describes his richly rewarding work as a facilitator on the 30% Club programme, and the part science, part magic approach to matching mentors with mentees.

I’m an Executive Coach and I’ve been working with Moving Ahead for three years as a facilitator on the 30% Club programme. It’s been some of my most enjoyable work.

Mentoring is an amazing way of developing people. There are many routes to development but there’s a unique power in two humans learning from each other. I had an amazing mentor in one of my first jobs. She told me that that whenever I go into the boardroom or sit at the executive table, whatever the presentation, I should be very clear on the three questions I was asking. It was amazing advice that I still use today.

Mentoring’s been happening since the beginning of time in all societies: all we’re doing is replicating it, restructuring it, making it formal – and the highest possible quality it can be.

This is a cross-company, cross-sector programme which is really rare – and very powerful. Participants automatically get access to all these great organisations without having to do the hard work of landing a programme because we’ve done it for you. 

MATCHMAKER 

The matching process is incredible because it’s part science and part magic. The science is that we have an algorithm, and we collect lots of rich data about what people offer and what they want. The magic part is that the team at Moving Ahead have been doing this for so long, they really understand what might make a good match. Sometimes we match based on similarities and sometimes we match based on differences – some people can get even more from someone with different experiences and perspectives.

We have a really high success rate with our matches – about 90% of mentees come out with greater confidence. Often that confidence leads people to do something different to what they may have done before the programme. I can think of one particular individual who was really proud of herself because she got promoted. Had she not have been part of the 30% Club, she wouldn’t have pushed for the promotion. It was wonderful to see the joy in her face when she realised that she was capable.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

The keys to a great mentoring relationship are commitment – both the time and the energy you’re putting into it – and partnership. We see mentoring as a peer relationship where both parties learn and grow in different ways.

The advice I’d give to mentors embarking on this process for the first time is to really put yourself in there: be prepared to be really vulnerable and honest about your personal and professional journey because that’s a gift you can give to your mentees. Also, listen hard because they want to hear your stories – but they also want someone to listen to them. To mentees, I’d say believe in yourself, because confidence that’s sustainable can only come from inside.

I recommend businesses sign up to this programme because it does two things: it says we are really supportive of, and committed to, changing the inclusion agenda in our organisation. It also helps people know you’re investing in them, and when you invest in people, they reward you with loyalty.

On a leadership level, almost all of our mentors tell us that their leadership improves when they’re part of the programme because it forces them to take a look in the mirror. By offering advice to other people, they often realise what they could be doing better themselves.

The main reason I’m involved in the programme is that I’ve got three daughters and I don’t believe the world of work is equal yet. So anything I can do to help make it fairer and more inclusive is work that I’m really proud to do. We’re changing the world of work: society has shifted so much in the last few years and companies are just catching up. Having a programme that enables even more inclusive workplaces and cultures is a joy to be a part of.

For more information click here or contact Maria.May@moving-ahead.org