National Mentoring Day is approaching and data has revealed that nearly a quarter (25%) of women do not have the confidence to be a mentor. The day celebrates mentoring and is celebrated annually on October 27 . It aims to raise awareness about the importance of mentorship in different communities and industries.
According to a study by PushFar, a leading global mentoring platform that focuses on women, 40% of them would not consider becoming mentors, and nearly a third said they lack the confidence necessary to do so.
PushFar research found that when asked about what holds them back from being a mentor, 22% of women feel they are not good enough. This is compared to 13% men who think the same. One in five women are not sure what advice to give, compared with just 12% men.
Imposter Syndrome, defined by the National Institutes of Health as “self doubt of intelligence, skills or accomplishments”, is cited as a reason why 66% of women are not able to become mentors.
Ed Johnson, CEO and co-founder of PushFar wants everyone to have access to mentoring and to learn how they can bring their valuable skills to the table. Ed Johnson comments, “The findings from our research highlight exactly why PushFar was created. It should not be difficult to receive and give mentoring.
As someone who didn’t finish school, didn’t attend university and went straight to work at the age of 17, I could have greatly benefited from a mentor. It was near impossible to find a mentor, so I decided to create a platform that would make mentoring accessible to everyone. We can change the narrative by making the process to become a mentor or find one open and accessible.
“On this National Mentoring Day, I want to highlight the benefits of mentoring for both mentors and mentees. The traditional mentoring dynamic, where older people mentor younger, has changed. Multi-generational reverse coaching has proven to be a powerful tool that opens it up further.
If you’ve been thinking about becoming a mentor, but something has held you back from doing so, I cannot recommend enough that you give it a try. This could be the decision that changes your life, both at work and outside of it.
Visit to learn more about the advantages of mentoring.
The first time this post appeared was on HR News.
