Starting Strong: A Mentoring Fable

Summary

Story is a very powerful way to exemplify concepts and show the dynamics and issues involved in relationships. In this mentoring fable, Zachary and Fischler tell the story of Cynthia, a seasoned marketing executive, and her new mentee Rafa, a young and ambitious financial analyst. Through these characters, Zachary and Fischler explore the nuances of an incipient mentoring relationship and its possibilities, problems, and pitfalls to bring their suggestions for best practices to life. The first 90 days of a mentoring relationship are relatively fragile; as both mentor and mentee proceed uncertainly, they may not know how to create the ingredients that are crucial to its success: building trust, finding their comfort zones (and having the courage to leave them), setting up productive regular meetings and conversations, dealing with power dynamics, setting goals, and keeping momentum going. While the fable offers tools and skills that can be applied to any mentoring relationship, Zachary and Fischler also provide a conversation playbook for new mentoring relationships, with guidance for establishing a mentoring relationship and keeping it strong.