The ‘Maternoster’ effect, Karen Kimura

Karen Kimura at Bromley High School (GDST).

The ‘Maternoster’ effect

The GDST offers its alumnae a family lift to the top via mentoring and careers guidance

The benefits of mentoring are well known and well documented. Top business leaders such as Sheryl Sandberg and Karren Brady have spoken about the need for women to mentor, coach, and ‘pull up’ other women, to help them realise their ambitions whatever career path they have chosen.

Unfortunately, many people do not have access to a formal mentoring programme through their university or workplace. That’s why the GDST Alumnae Network is an ideal community to support mentoring activities, particularly as so many former students tell us they have a ‘common bond’ with their contemporaries in other GDST schools.

In 2014, we carried out a pilot mentoring scheme to see whether it could and should be included as part of our on-going offer for GDST alumnae. Fifty participants from across the Trust were brought together so that experienced alumnae could mentor those younger than themselves at critical stages in their personal and professional development. With an Alumnae Network of over 65,000, there are many ways that former students can support and guide each other – from insights on specific roles and sectors to sharing experiences of dealing with interviews or leadership challenges.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with every mentee who responded saying that they had benefitted from the scheme. We were delighted with the outcome and will be continuing the mentoring scheme with one intake a year from 2015. Many participants noted that they appreciated being matched with someone from outside their sector and organization, since that allowed them to speak freely and learn from people who consider issues from a different perspective.

At its heart, mentoring is about building a mutual relationship of trust and respect where both parties stand to benefit. The mentee gains from the knowledge and guidance of someone more experienced, while the mentor gains a fresh perspective which enhances their coaching skills and generates a sense of reward.

Reviewing applications from mentees, we have noticed that there are three points in a woman’s career when support from a mentor, specifically a female mentor, can be particularly valuable. The first is when young women first enter the workplace, in their early 20s, when a mentor can help them adapt to new expectations and acclimatise to the office culture.

The second point is when what the GDST’s chief executive, Helen Fraser, has called the ‘baby question’ arises in a woman’s late 20s and early 30s. A more experienced woman,