“Mentoring allows you to unlock ideas – which then allows you to unlock your potential”

Olympic athlete Sarah Winckless was at a life’s crossroads when she left the world of elite sports. She knew she wanted to step out of her own structured world, ready to be seen as someone with a brain as well as lungs and legs – and then she discovered Moving Ahead.

Once upon a time I was an elite, multi-award-winning Olympic athlete competing at the very highest level for the British rowing team. My world was hugely structured, set by the coach – I knew the day of the week because of what training I was doing. Then I decided to retire, to step out of that world and see what else was out there for me. I was excited – but terrified too!

I became really curious about the teams I’d worked with, and how perhaps I could help other people operate better and perform to a higher level. That led me to become a leadership coach and facilitator, which I absolutely loved: seeing somebody light up, step out of their comfort zone – and realise that they had it in them all the time. Initially, though, I felt like I was an imposter.

Then eight years ago, I became a mentee for Moving Ahead, in one of the early mentoring programmes based around making the transition from sport to business. Liz Dimmock, Moving Ahead’s CEO, had thought really carefully about what I love to do, developing programmes and helping people. I’d go on to become one of the facilitators helping to design some of the cross company mentoring programmes.

FIRST DAY NERVES

I’m eternally grateful for the fact I had Simon Lloyd, then HR Director for Santander, as my mentor. As a newly retired athlete, the experience of meeting him for the first time was really quite intimidating. I got a lift up to the sixth floor, where the C-suite meeting rooms were, and had a moment sitting in reception thinking ‘What am I going to ask this top level professional? I'm just at the beginning of my journey.’ Then I got in the room with Simon, and he really listened and started to share ideas with me. But he also told me what he thought and felt and didn't know. It was the most amazing meeting. I bounced out of that room and thought ‘Oh my goodness, there's somebody who's taken the time to listen and learn about me.’

I was lucky enough to be able to stay within that mentoring programme for six months – and been in touch with Simon since then. He’s been really instrumental in some of those moments when I needed to have someone who believed in me.

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL

Mentoring allows you to unlock ideas – which then allows you to unlock your potential. The cross company programmes really increase the confidence of the mentees. Because of this, they’re going for new roles earlier in their careers, or going for promotions when perhaps they haven't had the confidence to do it previously.

Also, we have leaders who are mentors, hearing the lived experience of mentees, albeit in other companies. Those mentors start looking at their own companies because they want to know if those same issues exist. And, as leaders, they can make positive change within their own organisations. It's really powerful.

Looking back to when I started that journey as a mentee and that first meeting with Simon, I wonder what he saw in me, feeling so scared and out of place. But I think if he saw me now, he'd see someone who believes they belong in these shoes, in these clothes – rather than waiting for someone else to tell them they belong.

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