Making Mentoring Work
By Melvin White

Mentoring is receiving a lot of attention in today’s legal workplace. As well it should. According to Lois J. Zachary, president of Leadership Development Services, LLC, mentoring should matter to organizations because, when done correctly, “it helps to retain the next generation of leaders, improves leadership and managerial skills, develops new leaders, enhances career development, puts high-potential individuals on a fast career track, promotes diversity, improves technical knowledge, and helps manage knowledge within the organization.” I would add that mentoring creates happier and more balanced lawyers.

As we welcome the law school class of 2007, it’s a good time to think about making our mentoring relationships work. Here are a few tips for mentees:

1. Develop a career plan. You will get the most out of your mentoring relationship if you have an idea of where you would like to go with your career. Some workplaces require attorneys to have a career plan. Even if your workplace does not require a career plan, create one anyway. You will benefit immensely from having a well-thought-out career roadmap. Think about both your short-term and long-term career goals. Consider the skills you would like to develop, the practice area you would like to specialize in, and what you would like to accomplish toward your career goal in the next six months, the next year, the next five years, and beyond. Be specific and commit your plan to writing. Be cognizant of the fact your career plan is for you, personally. Don’t limit your goals to what you think someone else would have you accomplish. Think about goals within your organization such as promotions you would like to achieve, articles you would like to publish, and relationships you would like to cultivate. Also, think about your goals apart from your organization, such as participation in the Bar, pro bono opportunities with legal services providers, and other community service endeavors.

2. Play an active role in choosing your mentor. Many workplaces have formal mentoring programs and will assign a mentor (or sometimes two) to you. If possible, play an active role in choosing your assigned mentor. With your career plan in mind, give some thought to who you believe would be your best mentor and make your wishes known. Educate yourself on the backgrounds and career paths of your potential mentors. Be inquisitive. People are usually very willing to discuss their backgrounds and will be flattered (and impressed) that you’ve expressed an interest in how they accomplished so much.

Be open to developing mentoring relationships outside your affinity group. Our profession is placing a great deal of emphasis on inclusion and diversity, and that is a good thing. Women and other minorities must see within their workplaces examples of successful people who are like them. However, it is good to remain open to the possibility that your best mentor may not look like you. In fact, be open to receiving mentoring from people who, on the surface, may appear to be the exact opposite of you. If there is a mutual interest in mentoring by such a person, pursue it. You may find that such a person can offer career development perspectives that you may never have considered. Also, such a relationship is a great way to contribute to the continued breakdown of the barriers that separate us.

Seek to establish mentoring relationships beyond your assigned mentor. Mentoring relationships that arise organically can be very rewarding. As you go about your work, be aware of those who take an interest in your career. Don’t be shy about discussing your career objectives with those who you believe can assist you in accomplishing your goals. Decide on one or two people who you feel you can seek out for advice and cultivate a mentoring relationship with them. Also, consider mentoring relationships beyond your workplace. Former professors and attorneys active in the Bar, voluntary bars, and sections can be fertile ground for mentoring relationships.

3. Take full advantage of your mentor. Once you have a mentor, take full advantage of what he or she has to offer. Form a mentoring mindset, take the mentoring seriously, and show a commitment to the process. If your assigned mentor hasn’t contacted you, seek him or her out. Let your mentor know you have a career plan and you’d like his or her input. Be open about your career issues. Your mentor’s role is not to evaluate you, so don’t be shy about discussing potential problems or areas where you may feel you have fallen short. Expect guidance from your mentor, not answers or a rescue.

Prepare for your first meeting with your mentor. Take a personal inventory. Consider what your mentor might want to know about you. Learn about your mentor. Review his or her biography and see what is available on the Internet about your mentor. Prepare for subsequent meetings with your mentor. Have a soft agenda for your meetings. Be prepared to tell your mentor about yourself and your career goals.

Mentoring benefits everyone—the mentee, the mentor, and the organization—be it a law firm, a corporate legal department, or a government agency. The mentee benefits from increased productivity, having a sense of inclusiveness, higher job satisfaction, and professional excellence. The mentor benefits from the enhanced productivity of junior attorneys, a sense of pride in playing a role in shaping the careers of junior attorneys, and an enhanced reputation and greater influence. The organization benefits from enhanced work quality and productivity, greater stature in the community, and goodwill among its employees. The profession benefits from having active, motivated, and well-trained attorneys who are ready to take on the role of shaping the next generation of leaders.