The countless benefits of taking part in a mentoring programme

The British Property Federation has ambitions to scale up its new mentoring programme from 60 pairings in a pilot last year to 100 this year. Isabelle Hease, chair of BPF Futures – the industry body’s group for in-career professionals with up to 10 years of industry experience – says its Launchpad Mentoring Programme will run annually following last year’s successful pilot. “We’re increasing the active support we offer rather than just being a passive group,” she says. The scheme will start in September, with applications open in the summer. But what’s it really like to be part of the scheme, and what might participants get out of it? Among that first crop of mentors and mentees matched in the pilot were Grainger chief executive Helen Gordon and Gowling WLG senior associate Charlotte Weeks. Navigating busy diaries and work-from-home guidance, the pair managed to meet for an hour every six to eight weeks between September 2021 and April 2022. Here, they each give their perspective on the rewards of participating in the scheme. Mentor: Helen Gordon, chief executive, Grainger When the BPF board discussed mentoring for BPF Futures members, I thought it was an excellent idea, albeit I was struck with the dilemma of being a strong advocate of mentoring and dealing with the challenges of a busy CEO’s diary. I couldn’t say no. Having introduced a formal mentoring programme at Grainger and having applied pressure on the senior leadership team to take part, I needed – and wanted – to step up for the BPF. At Grainger, we had invested in bespoke training on mentoring, providing guidance on the roles of mentor and mentee and how mentoring differed from coaching or sponsoring. The opportunity to work with someone from outside Grainger and have a connection with someone rising through their career in the property industry was an appealing opportunity. My own experience of mentoring is that you usually get as much out as you put in. On meeting Charlotte, I had no doubts that this was going to be a great experience to spend time with someone who is talented, able and confident, and investing her talents in our industry. At the time we started our mentoring relationship she was in the foothills of a large litigation. We talked about how it is easy to forget to develop your career when you are engrossed in a major project – including attracting outside experience and sponsors. Both Charlotte and I are action-orientated people, and she was receptive to the idea of taking on a few actions which she always completed or progressed and is always prepared for our discussion. We discussed in our first meeting the importance of using BPF Futures to meet colleagues in the industry. Charlotte is clearly a good networker. I made an early introduction to our strategic land team and a couple of months later she appeared representing Grainger. From first meeting Charlotte I knew I would enjoy our meetings. I hope she has found them as rewarding as I have.   Mentee: Charlotte Weeks, senior associate, Gowling WLG When I first saw the BPF was offering junior professionals the opportunity to take part in a mentoring scheme, I jumped at the chance. As a property litigator, I consider myself to be part of both the legal and the property industries. The benefits of mentoring are well publicised, and I knew that building a relationship with an industry leader could only be a good thing. Nevertheless, I have been surprised by the reality of what having a mentor has meant for me and my career. I have had other, more informal mentors in the past, but I knew that being matched with Helen in a formal scheme would be a bit different as her experience in business and property is so renowned. I entered the scheme thinking that through an insight into Helen’s experience, I would learn a lot about the world of property, which would provide invaluable commercial context to my own world of working in dispute resolution. But what I have found most valuable is the process of setting aside time in my diary to discuss my own career goals and what I am doing to further them, outside of the day-to-day workload and with someone I hugely respect. Each time I meet with Helen, she asks me about my objectives, such as my aims and ambitions for the year and what I am doing to get there. When we agree on certain tasks to help further these aims, she checks on my progress. This motivates – and sometimes forces – me into undertaking tasks such as maintaining and extending my network, which I might otherwise be tempted to let fall by the wayside, particularly given the challenges of keeping in touch with people during the pandemic. The insight into the property world I had hoped for comes almost by accident when we discuss issues affecting our working lives. Perhaps more importantly, I am learning general skills needed for success in the professional world, which could easily apply to any industry. Helen likes to end our sessions with a list of action points. Five, she says, is a good number as a rule of thumb for any meeting. I like to work to deadlines and Helen has adapted to my style of working in turn, now incorporating these into the “to-do lists” we agree on. I have learned that I will get the most out of those sessions where I prepare properly in advance and come equipped with a list of topics on which I’d like to get Helen’s views. That said, I have also found it useful to come with an open mind and to be flexible. Sometimes I might expect to discuss one thing, but through open discussion it leads to an entirely different subject and Helen might ask a thought-provoking question, such as what my personal goals for the year are and how that might sit alongside my professional ones. Of course, the pandemic has created certain challenges. An in-person meeting turned into a Zoom meeting following the work-from-home guidance last December. In general, the ease of setting up virtual meetings seems to mean that diaries have never been busier, so finding time slots can sometimes be difficult. But these have been minor challenges in what has otherwise been an incredibly useful scheme which I feel privileged to be a part of. I couldn’t recommend the BPF Futures scheme – or mentoring in general – more. For more on BPF Futures and career development, see this week’s Talent special in EG. To send feedback, e-mail julia.cahill@eg.co.uk or tweet @EGJuliaC or @EGPropertyNews Images: Grainger/FTI Consulting