Mentorship Amidst the Pandemic
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Mentorship amidst the pandemic
By Carolyn A. Patterson-Kemper, CMP, DES, principal/copywriter – CPK Writers; copy editor, Marketing & Publications Committee; MPI Potomac Chapter Leadership and DE&I Committee member
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us globally, creating the need for social distancing, quarantine and isolation. Our current situation — the synchrony of reducing physical distance and increasing social and relational connection — presents a challenge for us all. Staying connected and nurturing relationships through mentorship is needed more than ever during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us globally, creating the need for social distancing, quarantine and isolation. Our current situation — the synchrony of reducing physical distance and increasing social and relational connection — presents a challenge for us all. Staying connected and nurturing relationships through mentorship is needed more than ever during the pandemic.
You’re probably wondering “how do we engage in mentorship during a pandemic,” either as a mentor or as a mentee?
Here are some practical approaches that both mentors and mentees can adopt during pandemic times.
Stay connected. Mentorship is more than a Zoom meeting! It must be reciprocal and authentic. Reach out to inquire about how the other is doing or how you can be helpful. Get creative: Go for a walk. Meet for an outdoor lunch or concert!
Join together to serve others. Get involved together to help local efforts and support others in need.
Embrace recurring. Whether it be monthly, bimonthly, weekly or whatever frequency that you mutually agree on, prioritize, commit to and allocate time to schedule ongoing, uninterrupted calls or meetings. Create a safe space to discuss and share successes, challenges and goals, and stick to your recurring schedule.
Have an agenda. When mentees reach out to schedule time with their mentors, develop some key bullet points to discuss, i.e., job update, career goals, progress report, etc., to make the best use of each other’s time, and send them in your meeting invite.
Respect each other’s time. Not to detract from the above suggestions, however, valuing each other’s time is another critical element to ensuring the success of mentorship.
Although we are still in an unusual season where we have lost normal ways of interaction, adapting some of these approaches can help you make the most of your mentoring relationships.
The MPI Potomac Leadership Committee launched the MPI Potomac Mentorship Program on March 22. Learn more about the program here or listen to the mentorship podcast.
To become a mentor or mentee, visit the MPI Potomac Mentorship Program site or listen to the mentorship podcast.
Have a leadership story to share or want to get involved?
Contact Leila Beltramo, MPI Potomac board director, Leadership and DE&I, at lbeltramo@visitmontgomery.com or Ronda Keys, MPI Potomac Leadership Committee co-chair, at rkeys@inspiredeventpro.com
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The views expressed by our guest writers are their opinions and not necessarily those of MPI Potomac.
