… fostering relationships with and respecting the input of younger members and peers benefits association professionals and their organizations.
BY ASHLEY NEAL for Association Success
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
It’s common in many association sectors to emphasize seniority and experience when brainstorming new ideas, evaluating previous projects or making decisions that could affect the organization. But, as proven during “Making connections through non-traditional mentorship,” a SURGE Connect panel discussion, fostering relationships with and respecting the input of younger members and peers benefits association professionals and their organizations.
Whether it be putting policies in place to connect new hires with established employees or just making a mental note to bounce ideas off of the young professional in the next office, being friends with the youngest person in the room should be a top priority. Just as established professionals can impart the wisdom and skills needed to succeed, newer additions to your organization bring innovation, experimentation and fresh ideas to their peers.
“I’ve discovered that the younger teams are probably hungrier than even we were in learning,” said SURGE Connect panelist Jean-Guy Talbot. “For them, it’s not as much as people think about making the big bucks as it is about making a contribution to feel as if they’re worthwhile.”
Emphasizing and utilizing more than just a typical top-down relationship structure has begun moving to the forefront of leadership development in many organizations. In fact, non-traditional mentoring may be the future of mentor-mentee relationships as we know it as younger generations’ willingness to contribute makes having these relationships so beneficial.
“I think that era of the mentor being the career parent — the older, wiser, senior person, usually within your organization, who provides encouragement and support and takes an interest in your career development — is over,” said panelist Victoria Taylor.
