The Civil Service aims to be the UK’s most inclusive employer. As part of that, our vision in the Government Legal Department (GLD) is to be a great place to work, where we can all thrive and fulfil our potential. Those ambitions will only be achieved through clear leadership and direction, continually developing our own skills and those of colleagues around us, listening to one another and giving everyone the opportunity to challenge and contribute.
One great way of doing that is through mentoring.
Mentoring provides a chance to build trusting relationships with, and to learn from, those you might not ordinarily interact with day to day. Done well, it can benefit both participants. The mentee gets the chance to learn from the mentor’s experience, affirm their strengths and identify areas for development, explore particular challenges, and enhance their sense of motivation and self-worth. The mentor gains a fresh perspective, perhaps some challenges to their own thinking, and the satisfaction of helping someone else progress and succeed.
I currently mentor six colleagues across the Civil Service, including four from within GLD. Other GLD board members are doing the same. We have particularly focused on individuals from under-represented categories who have been identified as having the potential to reach senior roles. This is one of the most rewarding and valuable things I do.
There are obvious benefits to any organisation from supporting a colleague’s development and helping them achieve their best. But it is also personally fulfilling for me to share the knowledge and experience I have gained throughout my career with others and, in turn, learn from them and get their ideas.
Mentoring is not just something that senior leaders can do – anyone with experience to share can add value to others. I would strongly encourage you to consider mentoring a colleague, whether that be a formal or informal arrangement. It is a really valuable and enjoyable way to learn from one another.
2 comments
Comment by Ruel Cole posted on
Without prejudice
Everyone has dreams and ambition including myself, working in a wheelchair factory for ten years in Birmingham until it closed in 1999. Being dyslexic, I never thought I would get a job as a civil servant. In 2000, I join the civil service and I am very proud to be a civil servant. Over the years I have come across a number of things that are needed to be address before senior managers can achieved the dream that we would all like to see in the 21st century. Over the years the civil service has seen many changes as it become more inclusive and diverse, there are lots of work to be done not only by senior management and by everyone including myself as a diversity and inclusion member of staff. The civil service has to improving BAME equality within the working environment and this something we all we need to address and put our hands when things are doing wrong and put it right, including together and find a solution, to making the Civil Service a great place to work and realising its ambition to be the UK’s most inclusive employer.
Comment by Gavin Thomas posted on
During my overseas posting to Nairobi 2010 - 2014, I was asked by one of the Locally Engaged Members of Staff working the British High Commission Offices if I would become her mentor. I accepted the request.
We did this for about a year. From a personal perspective, not only did the Officer find the mentoring experience beneficial, but I also found this to be most rewarding and something that I would recommend to others to consider doing as part of the career development.