The when of what and how

There has been data on women being over mentored and under sponsored for a long time now. https://hbr.org/2010/08/women-are-over-mentored-but-un The URL doesn’t even get the sponsor. Ba Dum Tss.

There’s another problem that get’s missed as well.  A lot of mentorship, or at least the mentorship I’ve seen women get, is about how to be.

Talk more. Talk less. Take up space. Speak in the first 5 minutes of a meeting. If you need more examples check out the laugh-cry of a book “how to be successful without hurting men’s feelings.”

I don’t see as many mentors just sitting down and teaching someone their best tricks.  Whether you’re a guy or gal, if you don’t have someone who you can sit and pair program (or pair <whatever you do>) you should really give it a try.  And while you’re at it, help someone by letting them see how you approach things.  It’s one of the most valuable gifts you can give.

If you’ve been getting a lot of advice on how you should be, then now is a great time to learn more of the what.  It’s a nice break from scrutinizing who you are.