When I began my career, I saw mentorship as something useful for my “green” years.
I was well aware of my inexperience when it came to business protocols and navigating my career path, and assumed once I gained confidence and direction, I would no longer be a mentee and would instead become the mentor.
What I’ve learned over the years, however, is mentorship doesn’t expire. In fact, some of the most valuable mentoring relationships I’ve had, have come much later in my career, from unexpected sources – and they continue to evolve.
Guidance Not Answers
My very first mentor, back in my first job, taught me a pivotal lesson: how to trust myself.
I was young, hungry, and ready to prove myself, and he helped me to focus that energy. I learned not to take on too many tasks but concentrate on a few areas and do them well.
He taught me how to collaborate across departments, how to rationalize trade-offs, and how to navigate the people side of work. At one point I even worked for him, and though the relationship changed, the learning didn’t stop.
He let me make decisions – some good, some not so good – and he gave me space to grow. I realized later in my career that during our many discussions, he wasn’t giving me a roadmap, he was helping me build my own.
And that’s really the beauty of mentorship; it isn’t about having all the answers – or getting them. It’s about having a safe space to think out loud, ask tough questions, and consider alternate perspectives.
It’s about navigating the soft spaces in business – tips and advice on navigating people from someone you trust and who have learned from their mistakes. But most importantly, a really great mentor doesn’t tell you what to do; they ask the questions that lead you to figure out the answers yourself.
When I mentor, I try to adopt the approach of my very first mentor. I usually ask more questions than my mentees do – not to deflect, but to encourage self-discovery. My goal is always to help my mentee develop their own thinking, their own instincts, and their own voice. They will be more successful if they own their own path.
The Case for Reverse Mentoring
What has surprised me over the years, is how much I have experienced “reverse mentorship” - learning from younger workers who exposed me to totally new ways of thinking.
I think this is an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of mentoring. I love when professionals younger than me challenge my thinking. They ask questions I wouldn’t have even thought of at their age – especially around technology and societal shifts.
Reverse mentoring is practiced by some of the world’s biggest, most successful companies. According to Forbes Magazine*, the concept was popularized in 1999 by former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch and the benefits remain more relevant than ever. Companies such as Target, Fidelity and others provide reverse mentorship opportunities.
And for good reason. Younger generations tend to be more comfortable with and knowledgeable about technology. Their priorities have shifted considerably since I entered the workforce, and there are new and valuable perspectives to be gained by listening to every perspective, no matter how green.
At Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, we regularly hold town hall meetings at sites across the organization—not only to share our business strategy, but also to foster open dialogue with employees.
This photo was taken during a visit to our Tsuchiura site, where I had the opportunity to speak with early-career team members and gain new perspectives.
A Mentee for Life
I’ve now been in the workforce for 30-plus years, and I still consult frequently with my mentors.
As I said before, mentorship, does not have an expiration date.
If you are truly a life-long learner, there is always another perspective to consider, another avenue to take, and another risk to calculate.
These days, I lean on what I jokingly call my “mentor board” – a group of trusted individuals I can turn to when I need a fresh perspective. Some are former colleagues; others are from completely different industries. That’s the beauty of it: they don’t see what I see every day, which means they help me see things differently. They rarely give me an answer, but they always give me something to think about - and that makes me better.
And mentorship comes in many forms for me – formal programs, informal chats, peer-to-peer relationships. Often, I reach out to a mentor in an unrelated field. If I have a human resources issues, I might talk to someone in finance. I’m not looking necessarily for an answer; I’m looking for perspective.
So, whether you’re just getting started or deep into your career – find a mentor. Be a mentor. Do both. The value of mentorship doesn’t diminish with time; it grows with it. No matter your title or tenure, there’s always more to learn. And sometimes the best way to find your own answers is by helping someone else find theirs.
*Forbes Magazine, Jason Wingard, August 2018.
John Randall
President & CEO, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems
John formerly served as President & CEO of Hitachi Global Air Power (formerly Sullair) for four years. Prior to that, he was President of Sullair Asia for more than two years, and Vice President of Global Engineering for Sullair for more than six years.
