CURATED READS FOR GEN Z—AND THEIR Z-CURIOUS COLLEAGUES

first up

Welcome back! This week, we’re getting into the dos and don’ts of mentorship.

Here’s a little riddle: What do Oprah Winfrey, Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy aka P Diddy aka Diddy), and Harry Potter have in common? 

They all have mentors. Barbara Walters, Ray Dalio, and Professor Dumbledore (respectively) were the yin to their yang, the peanut butter to their jelly, the wind beneath their proverbial wings in the coveted mentor–mentee relationship.
 
As Gen Zers find their way back to the office (or begin to navigate it for the first time), mentorship is an oft-overlooked and underestimated tool that helps everyone—not just Gen Z—find their way at work.  

First, it’s important to understand what mentors are: trusted advisers and sounding boards meant to offer advice. Mentors don’t have to be the most senior person at your company; in fact, they don’t have to work at your company at all. It’s also important to know the difference between a mentor and a sponsor: a sponsor is a senior leader in a company who creates opportunities for early-tenure employees and helps broaden their networks. 

Mentors and sponsors are especially beneficial for women and people of color. For example, sponsorship has been linked to greater risk taking (like trying out a new role) for some women at work, as McKinsey senior partner Alexis Krivkovich explains. 

Most people recognize the value of a powerful mentor relationship. But fewer know how to land one for themselves. According to a March 2022 survey of more than 8,000 working adults, 40 percent of people say they have a mentor at work, but only 23 percent of people say they have a sponsor at work. And White people were likelier to say they had a mentor or sponsor than other respondents. 

If you’re lucky, your workplace already offers formal mentorship or sponsorship pairings. Ask your manager or company HR if this exists (if you’re a non-Gen Zer reading this: Why not help lead the charge on sponsorship at your company if you can?) 

If your workplace doesn’t offer a formal program, you’re going to have to seek one out yourself. Here’s a list of dos and don’ts to help you get started: 

• DO: Be proactive and find a mentor or sponsor to help guide you. If you’re not sure who this could be, don’t be afraid to ask around! (Mentor relationships can feel transactional, which is not so great for longevity. The best way to keep this from happening is to find a mentor with whom you share interests.)

• DON’T: While it’s important to seek out a sponsor with whom you have similarities, be careful not to select according to gender or race. Why? Women’s networks tend to skew toward women; the same goes for men. This can create a disadvantage over time, particularly in fields where men make up most senior positions. The higher up you progress, the fewer women there will be to act as sponsors at the top. Instead, join an employee resource group when looking for support and collegiality according to shared identity. 

• DO: Reach out to this potential mentor or sponsor with a specific question or a problem you’re trying to solve. That way, when you follow up with them, you can demonstrate that you’re able to work through a challenge and you appreciate their advice. People like to give advice, but they love it when people follow their advice.

• DO: Offer to help a sponsor with something they’re working on. This will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your own skills while also making sure you don’t come off as a leech. 

• DON’T: Expect a sponsor to do the heavy lifting alone. Set actionable, measurable goals that this person can help you achieve, with a specific time frame in mind. 

And you can still seek out a mentor or sponsor if you work remotely, though it may require a bit more effort. If you’re remote, set aside time for the kinds of encounters that would normally happen in-person (lunch or coffee chats, for example).

The bottom line: relationships matter. Nurturing them should be on your professional to-do list alongside your other weekly tasks. And, following Mother’s Day celebrations in many countries, remember that moms often make the best mentors of all.

VISUALIZE IT

People across Europe, UK, and the US are having a hard time understanding what makes food choices more sustainable.

WAIT, DON’T SCROLL

The Great Perturbation. Younger workers are more worried about job security—74 percent of Gen Zers and 62 percent of millennials are fretting, compared with 52 percent of Gen Xers and 19 percent of boomers.

Read it and leap. The latest edition of the McKinsey Quarterly is out and available online. This issue explores everything from how to be a high-potential CEO candidate to the future of mobility.

How can (A)I help? Two-thirds of millennials expect real-time customer service. Companies are exploring how to use advanced AI to meet demand.

NOT US; STILL GREAT

Met Gala but make it vintage. The 2023 Met Gala, a fundraising event to support the Metropolitan Museum of New York’s Costume Institute, celebrated the oeuvre of late-designer Karl Lagerfeld. It also showed how old clothes can dazzle just like new ones. [WaPo]

Yay, sports! The NFL is leaning into influencer marketing to convert Gen Z consumers into paying customers in its content universe. [Digiday]

CROSSWORD

— Edited by Alexandra Mondalek, editor, New York