Why People Resist Mentoring And How To Make It Work

Interview with Karen Catlin, Advocate for Women in Tech and Leadership Coach

One misconception I fell prey to early on in my career was staying heads down and waiting for someone to acknowledge my accomplishments.

The thought of tooting my own horn seemed too self-promotional. I was worried about what my teammates and boss would think.

It wasn’t until I came across people who helped me find my voice and style that I realized the disservice I had been doing to my career.

Through their guidance and support, I realized how beneficial mentors can be to your career.

While there’s been a lot of talk already about the need for mentors, in today’s Build video segment we’re going to take a slightly different angle and explore:

• Why many resist seeking mentorship
• What is a mentor versus a sponsor
• When is mentoring appropriate
• What to expect from a mentor
• Why is it good to have a mentor

In future segments, we’ll tackle how to effectively get a mentor, and how you can get started as a mentor!

To help us out I’ve invited Karen Catlin who is an Advocate for Women in Tech, a leadership coach, and my co-author on our book: Present! A Techie’s Guide to Public Speaking.

When you’re done, Karen and I want to know if there is a hurdle that is holding you back from mentorship. Please let me us know in the comments below!

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Build is produced as a partnership between Femgineer and Pivotal Tracker. San Francisco video production by StartMotionMEDIA.