Wave Mentoring

I have been a proud mentor and volunteer throughout my professional career. When I was with AWS, I joined with the now defunct, Built by Girls, organization to encourage women and girls in pursuit of science, engineering, math, and technology studies and careers. They had a program they dubbed “Wave Mentoring” that I loved and saw potential for immediately in other organizations or groups.

Unlike long-term or ambiguous mentoring programs, this structured approach was an easy as 3-2-1. Each mentor and mentee signed up for three meetings over a three month period. The mentor also agreed to introduce the mentee to two other professionals in their network who might provide insight or perspective. And at the heart of it was a one-on-one relationship.

Author David Avrin wrote a great book entitled It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows YOU! I wholeheartedly agree with the premise that it isn’t just about building your network or asking advice that moves your career forward. In fact, some under-represented groups can actually be over-mentored. This program addresses both challenges by giving mentors a chance to really get to know their mentees and to be a part of building their network with a warm referral.

As a way of giving back, I am going to be starting up a way for organizations, companies, non-profits, and groups to set up and manage Wave Mentoring programs in the coming months. Fill out the interest form at the bottom of the page to stay informed of program updates and resources.