Tiffany has got some major problems at work and her fiancé just does not seem to get it. That he even believed rubbing her back would be soothing and comforting was another problem on its own. However, despite the soft back rub with cooing sounds already grating her ears, her work problems still loomed larger than ever as the weekend comes to an end. *sighs* He just does not get it.
She had tried earlier to complain to her parents hoping her dad who used to be a manager in a food manufacturing company will proffer some valuable advice. She wasn’t too surprised however when they angrily asked her to resign if her work problems were getting too much as they threw expletives at her invisible boss. They were “literally tired of all her complaints and issues she seemed to be facing at her workplace” and didn’t mince words in saying so.
But she couldn’t blame them. They had resigned from the labor market long before Pocahontas was born.
Luckily, she also had her female and male friends who she cries to during issues like this. But while they can be great to talk to and with strong broad shoulders to cry on, they often give very terrible advice in serious situations. And what she needed right now wasn’t someone giving her false hope or asking that they go and listen to a live band while drowning some tequila shots to “cheer her up”.
She needed a life and career advice if she hopes to make a meaningful impact in her workplace. She needed someone who has been through what she is going through, someone who would understand her viewpoints yet is well experienced enough to know whether her career decision would lead to huge success work or flop like a pack of domino cards. She needed someone that would empathize, understand the special working needs of a woman and proffer solutions that have been tested and trusted. She realized that what she really needed was an older, more successful and wiser version of herself.
She needed a female mentor.
In today’s dynamic working environment, while having a mentoring relationship is important for some people, it is very essential for young women to have a mentor. Having an older woman mentor can prepare a younger woman for what to expect at the workplace and also help them learn how to navigate their way past obstacles and propel them to a huge career success. Statistics have shown that majority of younger women that have attained success in their careers while wielding a position of influence attribute their success to a female mentor that have guided them towards where they have attained as of today.
There are various reasons a woman needs an older female mentor to prepare her for a successful career path and the listed ones below are considered the key essential ones:
Empathy & Intuition
It is simply in the genes and inexplicable. We see a lost soul and we want to right all wrongs. We hear a sad story and we want to sob and help out. No one knows why but several times, it has been linked to the fact that women are the child carriers, the nurturers of babies who are unable to speak for the first two years of their lives and can only communicate through wails and tears. As a result, a woman is wired to be able to identify what is not being said nor meant to be understood at face value. Women are more equipped to dealing with their instincts without losing any bit of their empathy. At the workplace, some key decisions and situations will require empathy and a little bit of intuition so when a younger woman seeks the mentoring relationship of an older woman, that empathy and intuition will go a long way in helping the female mentor and mentee come to a resolution. An older woman mentor will be able to identify and relate to a problem being shared by the younger woman while discussing some solutions that will work for the mentee based on her own experiences rather than simply be giving out a general unrealistic resolution tactics because it once worked for a woman that lived in Liberia 97 years ago. And once a younger woman can relate to the female mentor’s problem, it provides a sense of comfort knowing she’s not alone and solutions can be attained with the right comfort and empathy.
Non-Judgmental Advice
We all want to be able to share our fears and problems with an older person that will listen without having her nose scrunched up, raised eyebrows or shaking her head in disagreement right from the minute we open our mouths to talk. Nothing kills a complaint or fear faster than knowing our listener will be passing judgment before the original judgment day. It is also widely accepted that women mentors are less judgmental than the male mentors. A female mentor who may have gone through the exact issue being faced by the younger women is prone to be more accepting and less judgmental while giving sound feedback that is relatable as well as understandable. And at the workplace, a female is more likely to understand why you desire to close at 4pm than a man who simply “cannot understand why you cannot close at 8:00pm alongside the janitor after all, you are being paid in 6 figures! And what’s with the disappearing mode every lunchtime to feed your 4 months old baby by the way”? Only an older female mentor who has been down that road can share ideas on how best to manage certain womanly situations without causing any rouse at the workplace.
Values & Beliefs
As a young woman, having an important decision to make regarding your career requires that you sought the opinion and advice of someone who will be able to have a good picture of your goal, share opinions on whether it is a feasible career path, or simply lets you know that it is an unrealistic dream that requires you waking up with a splash of cold water from your fantasy slumber. Having an older female mentor who would not only empathize with the problems being faced, but will also be able to listen with an open mind and at the end of it all, share valuable philosophical beliefs that would help you cross over to that successful career path that many others like her have been opportune to cross.
An older female mentor is essential to the career growth of a younger woman. And just like marriage lessons from older married women to younger married women help in dealing with the certain marital crisis, career mentoring from an older woman to a younger woman can help the younger working woman deal better with any workplace issues using their natural sharp instincts, empathy, unbiased thinking, and a rather philosophical approach.
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What does this mean summarily?
An older female mentor is essential to the career growth of a younger woman. And just like marriage lessons from older married women to younger married women help in dealing with the certain marital crisis, career mentoring from an older woman to a younger woman can help the younger working woman deal better with any workplace issues using their natural sharp instincts, empathy, unbiased thinking, and a rather philosophical approach.