Mentoring in a remote working environment by Margaret J Weber

Many are asking about mentorship when working remotely.  It is certainly a truth that traditional mentoring as we know it has been upended, but that does not mean it has been eliminated, quite the opposite.

Remote or online mentoring takes a different form from the traditional idea of mentoring in a face-to-face environment.  How do you pitch yourself and find mentors in this new/different environment?  It may be that you are in a new position with a new organization, and you are asking yourself about learning the culture, what does upward mobility look like?

Let’s take a few minutes to think about ways to engage in this remote environment.  Take time to peruse the staffing charts and learn about the various employees of the organization.  Do some look like they have interesting backgrounds/careers/positions with the organization?  Take a little more time to find out as much information as you can on those that might be of interest to you.  Have they written anything?  Are they on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter?

Reach out to the individual and share something that you read about them that is of interest to you.  Then share your own interest in the topic and see if you receive a response.  It is surprising who will respond – some will, some won’t!  However, if you indicate you are really interested in learning more about the topics, they have expertise in, they are more likely to respond. 

This may start an ongoing relationship of mentoring.  At the beginning, it might include sharing background information and sharing about common interests, then you can begin to share your interest in having a mentor within the organization and some of your own goals. 

Similarly, take time to peruse the background of others with similar interests on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter.  Reach out to them in a similar way!  If they have written a post, then refer to the post or an article they have written about a topic of interest to you and mention what interested you about the piece.  Most people respond warmly to others that are interested in their work and have similar interests.  Again, you might get a response, or you might not.  At this initial stage, it is not about asking someone to be your mentor, it is to learn more about someone and in that process, it may be that they would be a good mentor for you.  You are citing their work and have done your homework by being knowledgeable about the individual’s work/interest.

It really is about mimicking the in-person experience as best you can by asking to learn more, helping a would-be mentor with a project that you might collaborate about online.  LinkedIn has indicated that the number of people searching for mentors or mentees has more than doubled in the beginning of 2022.

Also, check, does your employer have a mentorship program that has remote options?  Many organizations have taken their mentoring programs virtual.  Virtual mentorship is more targeted.  You are reaching out directly to someone that you are interested in learning more about their work/research.

Reach out to find a mentor and let others know you are interested in being a mentor!  Wishing you the best in this virtual environment.