This document provides 10 steps for activating a mentoring journey, including paying skills forward by being a mentor and getting a mentor, building a support network called a "Thrive Hive", embracing vulnerability, defining clear asks, following through on commitments, and expressing gratitude. The overall message is that mentoring is an active intervention that requires openness, giving back, cultivating relationships, and taking action.
2. Hit me up on Twitter!
@mentorafrika
Dr. Melissa Sassi
Chief Penguin, IBM
Founder & CEO, MentorNations
Co-Founder & CEO, Skills Hustle
Intrapreneur Entrepreneur Digital Skills
Advocate
Startup Boss Youth Engagement
Executive
UN Working Group
Chair
Breaker of Glass
Ceilings
Creator of all
things IMPOSSIBLE
IEEE Digital
Skills Chair
Gatherer of my
Thrive Hive
Be an AND, not an OR.
4. PAY YOUR SKILLS FORWARD & DO IT OFTEN.
BE A MENTOR. GET A MENTEE.
BE A SPONSOR. GET A SPONSOR.
5. BUILD & NURTURE YOUR
THRIVE HIVE.
Your crew, gang, tribe, or
group of colleagues or
friends.
THRIVE HIVE
Celebrate your successes,
strengths, superpowers &
ingredients to your secret
sauce.
INFECTIOUSLY POSITIVE
Collaborate without
competing or comparing
your Chapter 5 with their
Chapter 25.
NO COMPETING
6. INVEST IN REVERSE
MENTORSHIP.
Anyone can be a mentor,
including junior people
mentoring more senior
leaders. YES, you heard
that right!
REVERSE MENTORSHIP
Our future depends upon
youth, as they literally are
our future. YOU are our
future!
YOUTH ARE THE FUTURE
Youth should be included
at the center of everything
& this includes both
learning & thought
leadership.
YOUTH INCLUSION
7. FOCUS ON MICRO-
MENTORSHIP.
Mentorship doesn't have
to be long-term or
forever. What do you
need now? Why wait?
BITE-SIZED MAGIC
Dive in & out as needs,
problems, or opportunities
arise. Be specific with your
ask & don't try to go too
big.
NEEDS-BASED
Offer to help your
counterpart, even if you
mistakenly think they
couldn't possibly need
your help.
RECIPROCATE
8. DEFINE & CLEARLY
COMMUNICATE YOUR ASK.
Tap into the knowledge,
skills, experiences, ideas,
recommendations &
suggestions of your Thrive
Hive.
MENTORSHIP
Don't focus on having one
mentor. Get the best of
the varied skills &
experiences from your
Thrive Hive.
A GROUP THING
Be specific when asking
for help. Come up with a
checklist, set of questions,
struggles, goals & don't try
to go to big with your ask.
BE SPECIFIC
9. CALENDAR WITH
MINDFULNESS.
Everyone is busy & most of
us struggle to stay afloat
most days.
BUSY BEES
Don't forget to send a
calendar invite with the
video link or phone
number.
BLOCK CALENDARS
Be there on time. End on
time. It's a struggle, I know
& I often fail here!
TIME MATTERS
10. EMBRACE VULNERABILITY.
Don't be afraid to admit
your weaknesses, fears,
inner thoughts, aspirations,
pain points & whatever else
might be on your mind.
OWN IT
Be open so your Thrive
Hive can help you move
from where you are to
where you plan to go.
LEADERSHIP
Be unapologetically you
with authenticity &
transparency. It makes you
human! Who needs fake
friends or colleagues?
BE HUMAN
11. CAPTURE YOUR ACTION
ITEMS.
Summarize the actions you
plan to take following the
recommendations from your
Thrive Hive.
SUMMARIZE
Communicate with
empathy, diplomacy &
respect when advice from
might be troublesome for
you.
NO ONE KNOWS IT ALL
Use critical thinking &
combine learnings from
your Thrive Hive with
reputable data as you
execute your action plan.
CRITICALLY THINK
12. BE A FRIEND.
Be a friend, reciprocate, but
know when you are out of
your depth or unable to
allocate time due to
competing responsibilities.
SAY NO WHEN NEEDED
Follow through on
commitments. Never over
promise & under deliver. If
you do, apologize & take
things in stride.
FOLLOW THROUGH
Identify hidden talents by
helping to share your skills
forward & continue to add
to your secret sauce.
HIDDEN TALENTS
13. GIVE THANKS.
Say thank you & do it often.
Express gratitude to your
Thrive Hive for enabling you
to build your career &
achieve your dreams.
GIVE THANKS
Don't be afraid to give
your Thrive Hive shout
outs in social media if it
fits your personal brand &
style. Don't be shy!
SHARE IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Document your learning
journey in short videos,
photos, or blogs. Enable
others to learn from your
experience & insights.
LOUD & PROUD
14. #DoTheThing
#Loud&Proud
Make an intention to follow
through on advice from
your Thrive Hive as
appropriate. Don't be a
nothing burger.
INTENTIONS
Use data & critical thinking
to decide how to take
action. Don't ignore your
gut when taking action
from your Thrive Hive.
THINK CRITICALLY
Whatever that thing is that
you've always intended to
do...do it! #DoTheThing
without fear of failure.
Failure is learning anyway.
#DoTheThing
15. A Thrive Hive is one of the most important ingredients to my secret sauce.
If you don't have a Thrive Hive
yet, get started & create one.
16. Mentorship Success
is watching your mentor-mentee relationship turn into SPONSORSHIP where both parties
ACTIVELY ADVOCATE for one another WITHOUT BEING ASKED & often when the other
person is not even present or aware.
