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ILA Mentoring Creates New Connections

In its first year, ILA’s Coaching and Mentoring Program has connected members across continents, generations and professions, creating rich relationships that epitomize the value of this global organization.

We have received some encouraging feedback and heard wonderful anecdotes of dynamic relationships.  At the 2019 convention, some mentees got to know their mentors in person and that made the continuing dialogue more natural.  While the cancellation of convention 2020 prevented us from meeting in person, communications are continuing over telephone, video and email.

We’ve also experienced some mismatches.  Some mentees have realized now might not be the right time, or perhaps they didn’t know what they were looking for in a mentor.  That is also a valuable realization; and we’re glad ILA could make a small contribution to these individuals’ journeys.

Our mentorship is also fast becoming a good friendship.  I highly value [my mentor]'s input, organisation skills, and her support: She is a wonderful mentor, through and through. 

We had a very constructive session.

I’m grateful to [my mentor] for his excellent mentorship. I’m learning a lot from him. It’s very insightful and always a delight to read his work. He is always there when I need guidance and advice.

For me it was an opportunity to listen and think with another person who cares about the value of listening.

I’m also grateful to ILA for bringing in and supporting members like me with productive programmes like these.

I've enjoyed thinking and listening and talking with him.

This has been a very successful exchange with, from my view, both
of us learning from the experience.

I am mentoring a new member through her Ph.D. research and dissertation… Through our skype meetings we have also grown into friends, both of us a part of the ILA family. I intend to mentor her through the completion of her work, but I know that we will remain friends after, all because of the ILA.

I received great feedback... It was really helpful. 

One comment offered a wonderful reminder of why ILA has embarked on this mentorship program:

The value that keeps coming up for me is the fact that the members of the ILA consider themselves ‘family’.  I highly value this aspect of the ILA. When new members join we tend to embrace them and want to support them and help them grow in their inquiry into listening. This happened to me when I joined.

Long may this continue!

If you would like to be mentored, or be a mentor, please email ILA Board Member Kathy O’Brien at Kathy.obrien@listen.org. Visit the Resources section of the ILA website for the application form and mentoring guidelines.

This article has been reprinted with permission from The ILA Listening Post.  It was published in June 2020.

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