**Mentors are a waste of time**
Recently, I was hired to coach a highly ambitious woman who worked for a large pharmaceutical company.
While she was highly experienced, she was new to the organization and industry.
During our call, I suggested that she would benefit from a professional mentor within the company.
She needed a mentor that could help her learn the internal ropes. Male or female mentor… either one would be good. A successful woman would be even better since this industry is dominated by males at the top.
She told me she had asked her male boss at her six month review about being paired with a mentor.
He told her he didn’t see the value in that.
I find that so disheartening, selfish, uncaring, lazy, lacking empathy. That is poor leadership.
Mentorship is valuable for everyone. Women especially need one.
I told her have another conversation with him.
She is going to have to drive that conversation. She should make suggestions as to who might be a good mentor for her. She should also spell out for him why this would be a benefit. (Sad that she has to do that).
Whether he agrees or not, she can find informal mentors who can be just as valuable.
What are your thoughts???
