HELPING GOOD GET TO GREAT The Power of an Effective Mentoring Process By Jo Ann Engelhardt, Timnetra Burruss, and Daniel Q. Orvin
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Why Mentoring Is Important and How to Structure an Effective Mentoring Process Whether in law practice or in professional organizations like the ABA, research indicates that lawyers with mentors advance faster, perform jobs and tasks more efficiently, and experience higher work-life satisfaction. Although 76 percent of working professionals believe having a mentor is important, more than 54 percent do not have a mentoring relationship. See Mark Horozowski, How to Build a Great Relationship with a Mentor, https://tinyurl.com/2p96z35p. Jo Ann Engelhardt is a member of the ABA Board of Governors and the American Bar Foundation, where she is co-Chair of the Florida Fellows. Timnetra Burruss is Co-Chair of the RPTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Standing Committee and a Past RPTE Fellow. Daniel Q. Orvin is Co-Chair of the RPTE Leadership and Mentoring Committee, ABA Advisor to ULC Study Committee for Use of Tenant information in Rental Decisions, and Advisor to RPTE Real Property Government Submissions.
A recent UC Davis article discussed the specific benefits of mentoring to mentees, mentors, and organizations in which they are involved. See The Benefits of Mentoring, https:// tinyurl.com/4sahjrzt. Benefits to the Mentee The benefits of being mentored can be broadly described in three categories: developing professional skills and competencies; developing personal skills and competencies; and building a network of advisors, supporters, and guides. Whether you work in a law firm, government office, or corporation, or are a solo practitioner, spending time with someone more seasoned can help you do your job better. Having a mentor means you can learn from your experience and that of your mentor, and you may sidestep potential mistakes. A mentor can foster workplace success by imparting institutional knowledge, including how things “really” get done. In addition, a mentor can showcase new approaches to work to help the mentee build flexible skills. A mentor can ensure the mentee receives professional development opportunities in organizations where the mentor has clout. In addition, an effective mentor will guide the mentee in burnishing the mentee’s personal skills. Learning to network, to run a meeting well, or to deal with difficult colleagues or clients
Published in Probate & Property, Volume 37, No 5 © 2023 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association. 40
September/OctOber 2023
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t RPTE’s National CLE Conference on May 11-12, 2023, the Leadership and Mentoring Committee’s program explored three aspects of the mentoring
