Guerrilla Mentoring 2: The New Sisterhood’s Secret to Success

See first post

Women with five or more professional supporters feel more successful (Source: Hot Mommas Project survey supported by the George Washington University School of Business, Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence). Could it be that these women with five or more professional supporters are experiencing an exponential version the Angela/Keysha mentor phenomenon mentioned in the last post? The answer is yes.

Women with five or more professional supporters feel like this:

Status: Women with five or more professional supporters feel more successful than their colleagues.

Source: Hot Mommas Project study supported by the George Washington University School of Business Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

With one solid supporter (aka “mentor”), Angela is four people away from feeling quantitatively more confident and successful. However, Angela doesn’t know this. She also doesn’t know the following:

• People with mentors are more successful. There is a correlation between higher pay, and the act/behavior of seeking out your own mentor.
• People with mentors have higher confidence, specifically women. Exposure to mentors and role models quantitatively increases the self-efficacy of women and girls.

How women can reach their potential

Angela’s story is to be continued. The takeaway is this: We need supporters and mentors to succeed. If the below facts are not enough, try this on for size: Research shows women are good at marketing and supporting others, but bad at marketing ourselves. Thus, you must align yourself to be the RECIPIENT of other women’s’ skill at marketing and helping others.  Then, you must turn around and be the GIVER of support to other women. When we do this, we will all feel like this:

It seems so simple. But, it’s not happening. Over the years of teaching young women at the George Washington University School of Business, I’ve attended and spoken at many leadership conferences. I’ll be in a room full of women and ask, ‘Who has a mentor?” Maybe 25% raise their hands. Then, I say, who knows someone who you could reach out to for mentorship? Maybe 33% raise their hands.  Women think having a mentor is optional. Women don’t know where to start. Women are too busy. There are a myriad of good-sounding reasons. However, these reasons must go away if we are to:

• Reach our potential.
• Help the next generation, and each other.

Why should we care?

• What if I told you this is actually the ONLY way women will be truly successful? And successful does not just mean successful at work. It could mean running chairing the PTA. It could be about supporting your friend in the corner office, as she supports you.  But we need these supporters, because – as women – it is statistically improbable that we will market ourselves and our accomplishments. But someone else will. Another WOMAN will.
• What if I told you that companies who “get it” are 63% more profitable: Companies with a strong pattern of promoting women into senior leadership are more profitable across multiple studies and profit calculations.
• What if you have a daughter, or a sister, or a mom, or a friend, and you could do this for them? You could support them, and it would make a difference in the world. Well, here’s the news flash:

YOU CAN. AND IT DOES.

 

This is the second in a three part series on HOW to find a mentor, and be a mentor, at home, at work, and in your community. Stay tuned for the next part in the series postingApril 27 – the day before the Women and Philanthropy Forum where Hot Mommas Project 2010 Award Winners will be honored.

What does “mentor” mean to you? Here’s a related link:

Seminar on the mentoring movement among women: http://sisU.eventbrite.com