Harnessing cross-company mentorship for meaningful change

We recently had the honour of being featured in the Financial Times, discussing the transformative power of cross-company mentoring - a cornerstone of our efforts at Balance the Board. This coverage shines a light on an innovative approach that's gaining traction: mentoring that crosses boundaries of company and industry to create fresher, unbiased dialogues.

Breaking new ground in mentorship

At Balance the Board, we've embraced cross-sector mentoring to enhance our mission of empowering women to ascend to senior management roles. Our program pairs women from diverse sectors - ranging from technology and finance to law and entertainment - with mentors in non-competing fields. This year, our mentoring program has grown to include 50 participants who are experiencing the profound benefits of this unique approach.

Key insights from the Financial Times feature:

• Fresher conversations, new perspectives: By pairing mentees with mentors outside their immediate industry, participants can speak freely, benefiting from a lack of preconceptions and the absence of internal company politics. This open environment fosters more honest and innovative discussions about career growth and industry challenges.
• Challenging the status quo: Mentors outside a mentee’s industry are less likely to uphold the status quo, allowing them to challenge practices more objectively. This can lead to more profound insights and more substantial changes within an organisation.
• Mutual benefits: The cross-company framework not only benefits the mentees but also provides mentors with fresh perspectives, enhancing their understanding of the barriers faced by women in different sectors.

Empathy and ambition in mentorship

One of the most poignant takeaways from the article is the importance of empathy and ambition in these mentoring relationships. Mentees have the unique opportunity to declare their ambitions and discuss their challenges without concern for internal competition, while mentors can significantly impact their mentees’ professional lives, inadvertently fostering broader change within the industry.

Join us for deeper insights at our October Conference!

Our approach to mentoring is just one of the many topics we'll delve into at the upcoming 'Accelerating Change' Conference this October at the Odeon Luxe Cinema, Leicester Square.

We invite you to join us to see firsthand how these innovative strategies are being implemented to create a more inclusive and diverse corporate landscape.

Want to see what we do in action? Then join our conference - you can book here.