260: Career Success: The Power of Mentorship at Every Stage with Ruth Gotian
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260: Career Success: The Power of Mentorship at Every Stage
Dr. Ruth Gotian is the Chief Learning Officer and Associate Professor at Weill Cornell School of Medicine in New York City. She returns to the Work from the Inside Out podcast to discuss her new book, "Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," co-authored with Andy Lopata. They emphasize the importance of mentoring in professional development, highlighting that 61% of positive mentoring relationships are formed organically. Ruth stresses the need for diverse mentoring teams and shares insights on the benefits of mentoring, including higher salaries and reduced burnout, as well as the importance of engaging mentors outside one's organization.
She has been hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. In 2021, she was selected by Thinkers50 as one of the eight people worldwide to be named an emerging management thinker. In addition to publishing in academic journals, she is a contributor to Forbes and Psychology Today, where she writes about ‘optimizing success’. Her research is about the mindset and skill set of peak performers, including Nobel laureates, astronauts, and Olympic champions. Her award-winning book, The Success Factor, came out in January 2022.
Discussion on Mentoring and High Achievers
Ruth stated that mentoring is not just for beginners but also for those looking to grow at all stages of their careers. Mentors provide guidance, support, and new perspectives.
She discusses the importance of mentoring for high achievers and shares insights from interviews with top achievers, emphasizing the commonality of seeking mentors.
Challenges in Mentoring Programs
Ruth discuss the ineffectiveness of many mentoring programs in organizations, emphasizing that 61% of positive mentoring relationships develop organically, not through random assignments.
She advocates for creating opportunities for people to organically meet, offering a resource on her website with 13 conversation starters to help people initiate conversations and create those organic connections.
The Importance of Organic Mentoring Relationships
Ruth shares that mentoring relationships can start with casual conversations and evolve over time.
She explains that mentoring should not be transactional and should be about building strategic professional relationships.
The Role of Mentoring in Career Development and Organizational Success
Dr. Gotian highlights the benefits of mentoring, including higher salaries, promotions, and lower burnout.
She emphasizes that mentoring is a valuable retention tool for organizations.
Ruth discusses the importance of having a diverse mentoring team with various perspectives.
She provides a worksheet on her website to help individuals develop their own mentoring teams.
Ruth shares personal anecdotes of mentors who transformed her life and career.
She emphasizes that mentoring is not limited to specific professions or industries and encourages individuals to seek out mentors who can offer different perspectives and expertise.
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About Tammy, host of
Work from the inside out
Prior to establishing her practice, Tammy held a variety of positions in mental health services, higher education administration, public policy analysis and fundraising. Her practical knowledge and experience in organizational development, program management and business operations builds a relatable relationship with clients striving for higher performance results.