FOREWORD

We have known about the importance of mentoring for developing people and organizations for several decades. Organizations are more frequently turning to mentoring as a solution for a range of their needs, from early socialization to talent management to leadership development. Despite acknowledging the power of mentoring, few organizations have successfully leveraged it as part of their overall strategy. Many individuals report not having access to the benefits of mentoring, and this lack of access is especially true for women and people of color. There is also an ongoing debate over the value of “formal” mentoring, with many arguing that it is less effective than informal, self-determined types of mentoring. Thus, despite its popularity, organization-sponsored mentoring often lacks inclusion, leaving out those individuals who should benefit the most from these powerful developmental relationships.

My own research and work with organizations over the past three decades has focused on the importance of mentoring as not only a tool for developing people and organizations but also a transformational process for creating understanding, strengthening relationships, and sharing knowledge among diverse groups of people and cultures. This work has convinced me that there is no more powerful tool than mentoring to unleash the power of diversity and inclusion in ways that benefit people and organizations. Thus it was a pleasure and honor to read this unique work and offer my insights and perspective.

Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring is a timely, evidence-based, and practical discussion of the power of mentoring to support, leverage, and advance diversity and inclusion across all different types of organizations. Lisa Fain and Lois Zachary leverage their combined research and practical knowledge with hundreds of mentors and mentees to provide insight into how we can better utilize mentoring as a transformational tool for individuals and organizational leaders. Bridging Differences is not merely a book title, but a call to action for scholars, leaders, and management practitioners to unleash the power of mentoring for creating a more inclusive organizational culture and social system. The work that provides the foundation of this book reminds us to move beyond the ease of one-shot mentoring efforts that are based on the myth of a single mentor or sponsor and toward developing effective and sustainable efforts as the key to success that are grounded in both research and best practice.

Bridging Differences is a strategy that can be used to support individual development as well as organizational transformation. To accomplish this, the authors examine the ways in which individuals should prepare for the work of mentoring. The book is organized into three parts: lean forward into differences, learn from differences, and leverage differences. Each section includes knowledge that the authors have gained from organizational practice, individual coaching, and research on mentoring. Each section of the book gave me valuable insight into three keys to unlocking the power of mentoring as a tool for diversity and inclusion: purpose, process, and participation.

In Part 1, “Lean Forward into Differences,” the authors signal that we need to prepare ourselves for the work of mentoring. They remind us that we must first focus on the purpose for mentoring: to cultivate meaningful relationships. Although this may seem obvious and perhaps easy, it becomes more complicated as individuals attempt to build relationships across differences. Through their mentoring framework, the authors challenge us to not simply “accept” differences but to actually see them, acknowledge them, and understand how these differences impact our mentoring relationships. This means building our knowledge around culture and identity, especially for those whose experiences are vastly different from our own. It also means developing the capacity to face barriers that interfere with the purpose of mentoring, such as all forms of bias and privilege.

The model presented by the authors prompts us to understand the link between mentoring purpose and the specific mentoring tool or program that can best fit the needs of the organization, team, or workplace culture. Too often, we think of mentoring in a homogeneous fashion that takes the power out of the diversity of mentoring structures, types, functions, and methods we have at our disposal. Bridging Differences means spending a significant amount of time preparing ourselves for mentoring, which begins with clarity and consensus on its purpose.

“Learn from Differences” is covered in Part 2, where the authors guide us through the ways in which mentoring unlocks knowledge about commonalities, diversity, worldviews, and innovative perspectives. Then we explore how we share and transfer this invaluable knowledge. This means paying attention to the process of mentoring both from an individual and especially from an organizational perspective. The process of communication, exchange, and knowledge transfer can either be facilitated or blocked by how we engage in the process of learning across differences. Here the authors spend necessary time with practice tools in a deep dive into the impact of effective communication across differences. In my work with organizations it has become clear that communication as process also must fit with the organization’s culture. Understanding how decisions are made, how successful initiatives have been done in the past, and gaining clarity on the “unspoken rules” within the organization is always part of the work that must be done for effective mentoring across differences to take place. The authors remind us that there is no universal solution to learning across differences. We can’t merely do “some mentoring,” copy what has worked for other companies, or purchase a predesigned product. Learning from differences means committing to developing understanding within the mentoring relationships, which also means developing our ability to deal with the inevitable conflict resolving from diverse relationships. Each chapter within Part 2 provides valuable and practical tools for how to learn from differences as a commitment to the mentoring process.

In Part 3, “Leverage Differences,” the authors explore what it takes to get full utilization and impact from diverse mentoring relationships. This section offers practical guidance and tools that can be customized for our own unique mentoring relationships. The authors examine such key issues as understanding and agreements among the mentor-mentee, goal setting, and outcomes. These practical tools remind us that effective mentoring across differences requires that we put forth effort to ensure that there is mutual participation. Perhaps this is where some formal programs lose their impact. We match individuals together, have a flashy program rollout, then leave mentors and mentees on their own to navigate these complex relationships without guidance, tools, or ongoing support.

The chapters in this part of the book provide tested tools that can be accessed across many different relationships that one will have over time to help them navigate, learn, and leverage mentoring. I found the space for reflection, case studies of mentoring pairs, and “Your Turn” exercises to be essential tools in helping to develop and maintain meaningful mentoring relationships across differences that can be used repeatedly across time and experience. These practical tools remind us that participation is the essential building block of meaningful diverse mentoring relationships and requires our knowledgeable engagement.

I learned many valuable lessons from reading this work by Fain and Zachary. The authors reminded me that mentoring is most effective when individuals (and organizations) make a total commitment that moves beyond merely discussing diversity and toward bridging differences. This means taking advantage of the practical knowledge and tools they have provided to develop a personal portfolio of tools and strategies that can build and sustain meaningful mentoring relationships, promote collaboration across differences, and link mentoring to such core values as diversity and inclusion. The valuable lesson I learned is that mentoring is most effective when there is also a total commitment to both mentoring and diversity. There is no quick fix, single design, or magic technology for mentoring to be effective. However, Fain and Zachary have provided an evidence-based set of tools, techniques, and approaches to assist with the vital work of mentoring as we build bridges across our differences.

Audrey J. Murrell, PhD

ACTING DEAN, UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE

PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, PSYCHOLOGY, PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH