Story is a very powerful way to exemplify concepts and show the dynamics and issues involved in relationships. In this mentoring fable, Zachary and Fischler tell the story of Cynthia, a seasoned marketing executive, and her new mentee Rafa, a young and ambitious financial analyst. Through these characters, Zachary and Fischler explore the nuances of an incipient mentoring relationship and its possibilities, problems, and pitfalls to bring their suggestions for best practices to life. The first 90 days of a mentoring relationship are relatively fragile; as both mentor and mentee proceed uncertainly, they may not know how to create the ingredients that are crucial to its success: building trust, finding their comfort zones (and having the courage to leave them), setting up productive regular meetings and conversations, dealing with power dynamics, setting goals, and keeping momentum going. While the fable offers tools and skills that can be applied to any mentoring relationship, Zachary and Fischler also provide a conversation playbook for new mentoring relationships, with guidance for establishing a mentoring relationship and keeping it strong.
This first comprehensive guide to helping mentors and mentees bridge gaps between and among cultures-a growing issue in today's diverse workplace-is coauthored by the founder and CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence.
As the workplace has become more diverse, mentoring has become more challenging. Mentors and mentees may come from very different backgrounds and have limited understanding of each other's cultures and outlooks. But mentoring remains the most powerful tool for creating meaningful relationships, furthering professional development, and increasing engagement and retention. Younger workers and emerging leaders in particular are demanding it.
Lisa Z. Fain and Lois J. Zachary offer a timely, evidence-based, practical guide for helping mentors develop the level of cultural competency needed to bridge differences. Firmly rooted in Zachary's well-known four-part mentoring model, the book uses three fictional scenarios featuring three pairs of diverse mentors and mentees to illustrate how key concepts can play out in real life. It offers an array of accessible tools and strategies designed to help you increase your self-awareness and prepare you to embrace and leverage differences in your mentoring relationships. But beyond tips and techniques, Fain and Zachary emphasize that authenticity is the key-the ultimate purpose of this book is to help the mentor and mentee make a genuine connection and learn from each other. That's when the magic really happens.