As leaders, people are at the center of our work. How we influence, motivate and guide people and teams can determine success—theirs and ours. In fact, one could argue that investing in others is the secret sauce that fuels engagement and satisfaction, which often extends positively to those receiving care.
As a professional society, mentoring others has been the bedrock of ACHE, and thousands of leaders have volunteered their time to help others and shape healthcare management. It’s no surprise then that our own core value of leadership states, “We lead through example and mentoring and recognize caring must be a cornerstone of our professional interactions.”
In a world that is increasingly complex, mentors can be an important part of growing leaders by sharing experiences and insights. Mentors also benefit from learning across generations, disciplines and settings. These relationships don’t replace job experiences; they add to them and expand our points of view.
The traditional premise of mentoring is a partnership between a seasoned professional (the mentor) and lesser experienced individual (the mentee). While still true and needed, the health industry is far from linear, suggesting that we, too, could expand our thinking. When executives build relationships with intention with those across the care spectrum, we embellish our mutual understanding and effectiveness as leaders. We both benefit.
Following suit, mentoring relationships are also taking on new forms. For example, peer mentorship offers a more informal approach in which professionals can glean expertise from colleagues with a similar level of experience. Mentoring circles go beyond the typical one-on-one approach and lean into mentors to provide a more diverse and rich experience in a small-group setting. Reverse mentoring flips the traditional mentor-mentee relationship and can focus on closing intergenerational gaps in communication.
Given today’s constant change, leaders need a collaborative, open and growth-oriented mindset. Building relationships that cross traditional boundaries allows us to learn and see new possibilities in ourselves and in our work. Being open to others in experiences and conversations can strengthen our insights and contributions.
As Laurie Baedke, FACHE, writes in her book, Mentor, Coach, Lead to Peak Professional Performance, “broadening our perspective and definition of mentorship gets to the very heart of what these efforts aim to do in the first place—to propel us forward as professionals and leaders.” Those interested in pursuing a mentoring relationship have various resources available.
ACHE’s Leadership Mentoring Network matches professionals with an ideal mentor based on career level, business function, leadership competencies and goals. Also, our recently refreshed Mentor-Mentee Guide offers tips, exercises and insights on how to ensure a productive mentoring experience. Additionally, the ACHE Policy Statement “Responsibility for Mentoring” is newly revised.
At the local level, many chapters offer their own mentoring programs that can help you make connections closer to home. To locate your chapter, you can use ACHE’s Chapter Directory.
On a global scale, the International Hospital Federation is conducting a mentoring circles pilot project this year. The project features four small regional groups designed to foster growth through dialogue and mutual learning. ACHE and The Equity Collaborative are providing support, and we look forward to sharing our experiences with you as they evolve.
Mentoring can be an important part of any leadership journey, one that helps both sides learn and grow. By prioritizing mentoring as a tool to develop and help others, we can embrace the richness of our uniqueness and cultivate a new generation of leaders. We look forward to supporting your journeys as we shape a stronger, more collaborative healthcare leadership workforce.
Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, is president/CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives (dbowen@ache.org).