The Power of Mentoring
How mentoring programs can raise the next generation of talent in esports and gaming.
Hello and welcome to Bunt and Bold Volume 009. This week’s edition is slightly more personal than other editions. Last week, Kristin, Milena, and I attended the meetup of the ESBD Mentoring program held at LVL in Berlin. As you might remember, Kristin is the program lead and while I act as a mentor, Milena is my assigned mentee. This mentoring program is what started Bunt and Bold. The three of us discussed a lot of content but did not find the right outlet to publish some of the things we discussed. Long story short: You are reading this through our own outlet. As mentioned several times before, we are more than happy to work with you. We want to amplify voices, highlight projects, and ideally start some conversations. Based on this, we want to look at mentoring programs and discuss why they can be an important tool. You will find all used sources at the end of the text.
– Christopher Hana
What Is a Mentoring Program?
In a formal setting, a mentoring program can be understood as a structured one-to-one relationship in a work, organization or academic setting. Mentoring platform Together adds the following context: “The term mentor comes from the character, Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey. This character was the companion of Telemachus, Odysseus' son and gave him guidance and advice while he was away from his home and family. Going back to antiquity the purpose of a mentor is to take all the experience that they’ve accumulated throughout their career and life and transfer it to their mentee for their benefit.”
So in a nutshell, a mentoring program can for example match an experienced individual with a less experienced person, so both can share knowledge and the mentor can provide advice to the benefit of the less experienced person. The purpose of a mentoring program is to share knowledge.
Different Types of Mentoring
While mentoring programs are often understood as one-to-one relationships, UC Davis describes three types of mentoring:
Traditional one-on-one Mentoring. A mentee and mentor are matched, either through a program or on their own.
Distance Mentoring. A mentoring relationship in which the two parties (or group) are in different locations.
Group Mentoring. A single mentor is matched with a cohort of mentees.
In today’s digital world, and especially in industries like gaming and esports, we often see remote relationships. The best example is the ESBD Mentoring program mentioned in the introduction. Mentors and mentees are matched regardless of their location. Communication mainly happens through video and phone calls and the group will eventually gather, like we did in Berlin, to meet in person, share experiences, and to build better relationships. The ability of remote mentoring programs is a big opportunity for everyone who wants to share and learn, as people do not have to be in the same place. Everyone with access to a computer, a phone, and the internet can get involved.
Why Are Mentoring Programs Important?
Mentoring programs allow people to learn from one another. Whether this is based on skill or knowledge transfer, or simply by mentors making the introductions for their mentees. Implementing mentoring programs at the workplace can
Diminish isolation and exclusivity
Increase engagement
Improve retention rates
Amplify skill development
Create equal opportunities
Support personal growth
Most benefits also apply to independent mentoring programs.
Practical Tips for Mentors and Mentees
In a recent article, Business Week Daily noted that “important traits in a good mentor include patience and listening skills.” In order to transfer knowledge and leadership skills, a mentor should:
Communicate and listen, while the mentee is in charge of her own career path
Offer constructive criticism, without judging or hurting the mentee
Practice empathy, by relating to and understanding the mentees perspective
Let your mentee make decisions, and not “know better” and drive decisions
Work on becoming a positive role model, and let your mentee also learn through observing and learning from your words and actions
On the other hand, this means that a mentee needs to sit in the driver seat and use the mentor as a tool and sounding board. Educause provided 10 quick ideas on how to become a better mentee:
Drive the relationship, use the mentor as a tool and sounding board as mentioned above
Balance formal and informal mentoring, mentoring does not only work through formal mentoring programs, but also through informal mentoring-relationships
Seek the most personal means to connect, do not only rely on text messages and Email, but engage in personal communication if possible
Be courageous, ask questions, don’t be afraid.
Be clear about the ask, if you know what you want or need, ask for it in order to help your mentor to effectively support you
View feedback as a gift, whether it is positive or negative
Provide value, you can add value, too, don’t be afraid to learn about your mentor and add value
Be prepared, do not waste your or your mentor’s time
Have realistic expectations, a mentor can support you but won’t necessarily do all the work for you or change your life within a week
Show gratitude, and say thank you
The Challenge for Mentoring Programs
In order for the mentor and mentee to have a constructive conversation, the program organizer needs to understand both and connect the right people. Since there is no initial complete set of information, this might not work from day 1. These three things can help people set up mentoring programs:
Identifying the purpose of your mentoring program. What is it you want to achieve? What do you want to provide to whom?
Understanding your mentor and mentee candidates. As discussed above, there are several required traits for both parties, understanding them will help.
In order to improve the program, consistent communication will provide feedback. Constant promotion can help with increasing and encouraging mentoring longevity
Take Action!
If you are interested in engaging in a mentoring relationship in the esports and gaming industry, as a mentor or mentee, feel free to reach out to Kristin and get involved!
Other News
The Loadout published an interview with Valorant Game Changers EMEA product manager Ashley Washington about the future of the competition
Team Liquid announced Women in Warcraft, an initiative to support women and marginalized groups in competitive World of Warcraft
Sports Business Journal and underdog venture team are joining forces to give complimentary subscriptions and event passes to up-and-comers in sports business.
Sources: Business Week Daily, Chronus, Educause, Harvard Business Review, Together, UC Davis,