COMMENTARY | MENTORING
Why mentorship matters in nuclear
With the nuclear industry entering a new period of rejuvenation
it’s never been more important to attract and retain the best talent. Mentoring can make a huge difference
By Jennifer Killick, Membership Manager, Nuclear Institute
MOST PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH the Pareto principle; the strange phenomenon whereby disproportionately small or simple interventions (20%) often generate the majority of meaningful impact (80%). Consider exercise; now, imagine if there was a drug that could reduce your risk of all chronic diseases, increase your energy levels, reduce stress and anxiety, make you more competent and creative, all while making you more attractive? People would be queuing up for this miracle drug! It’s strange to contemplate that you can get the same results from just moving around a bit. We’ve been reflecting on this now that the Nuclear
Institute (NI) has launched our Nuclear Mentors scheme, as mentoring is in many ways, similarly “magic”. On the surface, it’s rather simple, and believe it or not, something almost anyone can do. However, the impact on individuals, companies and entire industries of the connections made through mentoring is surprisingly disproportionate. Mentors are currently offering to support with areas
ranging from “understanding my early career options” to “transitioning into senior leadership roles” to “moving into a different sector of nuclear”. And all manner of technical and non-technical skills in between, from engineering to people management, from business improvements to political and climate activism. And much more in between!
What is mentoring? Simply put, a mentoring relationship is a supportive and developmental partnership between a more experienced individual (the mentor) and a less experienced individual (the mentee). It’s a two-way street where both parties can learn and grow. Some key aspects include role modelling, psychosocial support and encouragement, a structure for self-reflection, support for goal setting and an outside perspective that can help the mentee at moments when they might not be able to “see the wood for the trees”. Knowledge or hard skills transfer is often part of it, but it’s not (as is often assumed) the primary aspect of a mentoring relationship. It is typically rather about empowering the mentee to ask the right questions and take ownership of their learning journey; all while benefitting from an empathetic sounding board and supportive presence. There is also “reverse mentoring”. This is when a senior
person connects with a more junior person to learn from them. This could be for something specific like a skill or technology. It can be used to help management understand the challenges and perspective of “boots on the ground” in order to make better decisions. Companies have also successfully used reverse mentoring successfully in order to drive better-informed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategies by connecting decision-makers with junior staff from less well-represented groups.
The benefits of mentoring? Study after study has shown the positive impact of mentoring. At first glance, one might assume this only applies to the mentee. And while yes, it definitely does (mentees are more likely to feel valued, stay in their jobs, get promoted, receive salary increases and become mentors themselves), remarkably, it seems equally beneficial for the mentor and the organisations they sit within. For example, one recent study found that mentors were
Above: The Nuclear Institute mentoring platform Source: ShotofPushfar
46 | November 2024 |
www.neimagazine.com
promoted a huge six times more often than their non- mentor colleagues? Not surprising when you consider how many mentors report that they gained as much, if not more, out of the relationship than their mentee. This included improved communication & leadership skills and an improved sense of self-worth. Several of the mentors in our pilot scheme reported another unexpected side effect; the relationship forced them to naturally reflect on their own successes, and as a result, they received a big boost to their confidence and self-worth when they
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