Susan Loh, Manager, Prospect Research, University of Calgary
Everyone has had mentors or been a mentee at some point in their life. Parents, siblings, teachers are often our first mentors. With time, the circle widens to include friends, uncles, the “big kid” next door, and as we ourselves mature and grow, we too become mentors – sometimes by design, other times by chance.
The mentor – mentee relationship is central to learning, growing and developing, both on an individual level and as we evolve into productive, contributing members of society and the workforce.
In an increasingly complex workforce, this relationship has become formalized and structured in many organizations, including APRA Canada (APRA – C) which runs a successful mentorship program that pairs those new to the field with veteran researchers. There are currently 18 pairs (32 individuals) who are working together over the course of a year, notes the Erin Bartok, the APRA – C director overseeing the program.
With the exception of being APRA – C members, participants do not have to meet any other criteria. “We try to be flexible and match individuals based on their fit, interests and needs. It is not always an easy task, but we are fortunate to have smart mentees who are eager to learn, and a pool of mentors with breadth and depth of experience and skills, across Canada,” says Bartok.
Many factors help make a strong, if not, perfect match. Amongst them are geography – being in a certain province or proximity; field or sector – education verses healthcare or arts verses community organizations; size – small shop verses a large, well – established shop; and experience and specialist knowledge –a mentee might want to learn more about data analytics or prospect management, for instance.
Gentle Push Up The Steep Learning Curve
The world of prospect research can be complex and daunting for a rookie. Mentors can provide newbies a “roadmap” to help them navigate the paths and roadways towards a particular destination, whether it be fitting in with new colleagues and bosses to estimating share wealth or consulting the best resources. At every turn, a mentor provides a guiding hand, if not a soft nudge, in the right direction.
Martha Tuff, Development Information Officer, IWK Heath Centre Foundation in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was a former archivist. She understood the “fundamentals, rules and resources” of research, but only in theory. “I didn’t have the hands – on experience working within a fundraising team. I learn best from experience, mine or others, and that’s why I thought a mentor would be the best way for me to learn and grow in my new position,” she said.
Through APRA – C, Tuff was paired with Viktorie (Viki) van Deursen, Research Officer, Development & Alumni Engagement at the University of British Columbia (UBC). They interact via phone and e – mail at pre – arranged times and Tuff counts herself “very lucky” to learn from someone with a specialist knowledge and five years’ experience.
“Viki is a specialist in personal giving and although she works in a university – verses the healthcare environment where I am at – she has a lot to teach me about looking at resources in new ways and really understanding how my work makes a difference to my team.”
During her first year, Tuff also proactively identified and learned from her own “unofficial mentors” including peers and colleagues she worked with closely.
“They shared a host of tips and tricks that affect my daily work, including advice on how best to SEDI and SEDAR, generating Raiser’s Edge queries and reports, doing media scans and prioritizing and understanding the breadth and depth of research required for different outcomes. It helped me understand how my work informed fundraisers and fed into the fundraising model.”
Sonia Solomon, Manager, Research, at United Way Toronto (UWT), was also new to fundraising after spending 20 years immersed in business research with global investment bank, Merrill Lynch (acquired by Bank of America in 2009) where she oversaw operations and provided bespoke corporate research to staff.
She sought to learn from a seasoned prospect researcher and was matched with Izabela Piasecka – Latour, National Manager, Prospect Research, The Arthritis Foundation.
“I was transitioning to a new organization and new industry and wanted to a mentor with whom I could discuss my impressions; learn about best practices and products; and who would be willing to share their experience,” she said.
As part of her accountabilities, Solomon also manages UWT’s information resources. Her mentor provided valuable counsel when she was reviewing subscriptions and embarking on a new project.
“The not – for – profit space differs from the corporate sector in many ways and Izabela’s advice was invaluable. She was a great sounding board on resources and projects. She shared a list of the products she was using and directed me to some recent presentations and experts which fed into a relationship mapping project I was initiating.”
Building A Pipeline of Prospect Researchers
The benefits of mentoring, on the other hand, are not always obvious. On the broadest level, mentors help grow the profession and nurture the next generation of prospect researchers. On a more intimate level, by sharing knowledge, skills and perspectives, mentors help mentees succeed and stay in their careers.
Van Deursen – Tuff’s current mentor – holds a Master of Arts and discovered her love of mentoring whilst teaching English in Taiwan and as a participant of UBC’s Community Leadership Program (CLP), both of which allowed her to lead and mentor student groups.
“It was most amazing to watch my CLP students learn how to turn obstacles into learning opportunities and become stronger leaders in the process. The reward for me as leader and mentor was seeing all this learning transformed into something very meaningful and important to the community.
“The experience made me fully aware of how much I enjoy being a mentor, and so when the APRA – C put out a call, I didn’t hesitate to apply,” she says.
But the ultimate reward, says van Deursen, is the “mutual learning that it involves and inspires.”
Mentoring also comes with its own stresses. “The responsibilities of guiding someone in their formative years, when they perceive you as their role model, can be challenging. You really want them to learn only the most valuable that you can give.”
For Shelly Steenhorst – Baker, the Director of Prospect Research & Pipeline Development at the University of Calgary, mentoring not only allowed her to give back to a profession she loves, but also fine – tune and deepen further her own coaching, leadership and communication skills.
“Mentors are asked a lot of ’how to‘ questions. We’re often called upon to provide advice and guidance on work and career – related matters and have to be both coach and leader. In dealing with such situations, you learn to adopt the most encouraging voice and select and impart the most relevant information – to the best of your knowledge and experience – in order to set your mentee up for success. Being a mentor has definitely helped me to hone and nurture this aspect of my personality.”
Choose Your Hats
As the body of knowledge within prospect research grows, evolves, deepens and even transforms, each one of us will need to don a different hat – mentor or mentee – at different times. We need to be flexible, keep our eyes and ears open, and seize opportunities not only to lead and contribute, but to learn and grow.
Van Deursen is a perfect example. Not only is she a mentor, but a mentee on a journey of discovery with a UBC fundraiser who has gone the “extra mile” to share their vast international fundraising knowledge and experience.
“Ultimately, it’s the flow of information, the sharing element of our relationship that I appreciate and value the most.”
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Benefits of Being a Mentee
- Gain knowledge on industry best practices and pitfalls to avoid;
- Learn from experienced veterans on how to work smarter, better (and not necessarily harder or longer);
- Gives you an insider’s perspective on how best to navigate complex situations
- Provides you a safe, neutral and objective environment to ask job/career related questions
- Demonstrate leadership and commitment to your job, employer, career and profession;
Benefits of Being a Mentor
- Nurture and grow the next generation of prospect researchers;
- Give back to a profession you love;
- Create a legacy by imparting your wisdom, knowledge and experience to others;
- Build your own management, leadership and coaching skills;
- Exposure yourself to new ideas, thoughts and perspectives;