February 2022 Volume 4

OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT

Mentoring is a Learning Opportunity Ultimately, mentors should understand that mentoring, whether formal or informal, is a positive learning opportunity for both the mentee and the mentor. Through communication and mindfulness, a good portion of the mentoring experience will be done without making mistakes, but people are not perfect. Mistakes are expected and even necessary. The most important aspect of a mentorship is to continue to have honest and open conversations about what is going well and what could be improved. A sincere apology for comments that hurt the trust of the mentee or mentor, followed by a mindful discussion of the topic, will go a long way toward fostering a healthy mentorship. Luckily, as human beings, we always are absorbing information and learning from it. It would be detrimental if a fear of making mistakes or an inability to admit shortcomings got in the way of the manufacturing industry’s opportunity to thrive through the diverse ideas, keen intellect, creativity and determination of the young women who are entering and developing in the workforce. In order for the manufacturing industry to thrive, professionals should embrace the mentorship learning opportunity to grow themselves, to uplift others and to ultimately improve the manufacturing world. Katie Dzierwa Thermal Process Engineer Fives North American Combustion, Inc. Phone: 216-212-9407 Email: katie.dzierwa@fivesgroup.com References: 1. https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2021/03/making-place- women-manufacturing 2. https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/visual-arts/forging- ahead-pratt-helps-melt-barriers-for-women-in-male-dominated- art-forms/ 3. h t t p s : / /b l o g . t embo o . c om /20 - i n f l u e n t i a l - wome n - i n - manufacturing/ 4. https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2021/03/FactoryFlaw_ FINAL-for-web.pdf 5. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/ manufacturing/us-manu-women-in-manufacturing.pdf 6. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2020/10/22/impostor- syndrome-prevalence-in-professional-women-face-and-how-to- overcome-it/?sh=13143e1173cb 7. https://hbr.org/sponsored/2017/02/how-positive-reinforcement- keeps-employees-engaged 8. ht tps: //corporatetraining.us f.edu/blog/how-to-motivate- employees-with-positive-reinforcement

who are inherently mentors, also should work to demonstrate their appreciation for those who they manage. Being in a mentee’s corner not only means giving feedback and tips but also stepping in when needed. Mentors of young professional women should help to shift the environment of their company to make it more inclusive for their mentee.This includes correcting and having a conversation about language that could be harmful even if the mentee isn’t in the room. Mentors also can give their mentee a voice, for example, if they are being talked over in a meeting. A simple “Please, let ___ finish their thought” is more effective than one might realize. Having a mentee’s back could even expand to considering the mentee’s needs and views when discussing company policy or other decisions at high-level meetings. Open the Door Once mentors understand the goals and aspirations of a mentee, they should commit themselves to opening doors for them. Traditional mentorships often seek to helpmentees with promotions and assignments to important and challenging projects. These are great opportunities, but it can go beyond this. Mentors should work to get young women a seat at tables of important conversations.They can help women gain experiences by inviting them to customer/ supplier visits and by giving them opportunities to work on projects and tasks outside of their job description. Mentors also can advocate for and suggest training opportunities, summits, lectures, and other professional development opportunities within and outside of the company. Young professional women can benefit greatly frommentors in their immediate circle, but sometimes it also can be beneficial to learn from individuals who are outside of this circle. Therefore, mentors should try to introduce their mentee to their diverse group of colleagues, who can provide additional mentoring opportunities. Given that a limited number of women hold leadership positions in manufacturing companies, young women might not have a fellow woman to look up to in the industry. Young womenwho are of racial, ethnic and other minority groups might have even greater difficulty finding mentors who can understand challenges that they face daily. Mentors should provide opportunities to open their professional networks to their mentees. These opportunities could include trade shows, manufacturing organization meetings, training programs, site visits and simple introductions. While opening doors, mentors should be ready to ask for feedback, suggestions, and priority shifts. As mentees grow in their career, they will be able to better recognize and predict what challenges, opportunities, and topics that they most would like to pursue. Gen Z women who are entering the workplace tend to be looking for opportunities to learn and improve. They want to find meaningful work and will excel in a company when they are given opportunities to voice their opinions, to learn and expand their experience, and to find what makes them excited about manufacturing.

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