Shown (from left) are: Barbara Armand, Chelsea LeMar, Sarah Epifano, Tracy Nichols, Liz Archer, Olivia Rousso, Tiffany Johnston, Gemma Beasle, and Adam Schaffer.New York, NY Professional Women in Construction’s Mentorship Panel at Steelcase Showroom brought together both emerging and experienced professionals for a discussion of mentor and mentee perspectives, as a kickoff to PWC’s own mentorship program.
The event’s moderator Tracy Nichols, healthcare manager at Steelcase Health, shared her own mentorship experiences both at Steelcase and throughout her professional life. Nichols led a conversation among the panelists; topics ranged from successful and failed mentorship experiences to what they believed to be technology’s role in today’s mentee/mentor relationships. The panel included:
• Expert panelists: Gemma Beasley, senior recruitment consultant, Hays Recruiting, and Adam Schaffer, HR change agent, Bloomberg.
• Experienced panelists: Liz Archer, marketing pursuit manager, Dewberry, and Sarah Epifano, director of business development, Skanska USA Building.
• Emerging panelists: Tiffany Johnston, deputy operations manager, Armand Corp., and Olivia Rousso, regional manager of engineering, Gilbane Building Co.
Shown (from left) are: Silvia Soto, Student; Kinshuk Sharma, Student, Columbia (Construction Management); and Kristina Tougas, student, Columbia (Architecture).Beasley opened with a presentation on mentorship as one of the three vital components of progression in construction-related fields, together with becoming well-rounded at every stage of a career, and building networks with the quality, not quantity, of relationships. Schaffer followed with a presentation in which he related mentorship to coaching, discussing the dynamics of this relationship and emphasizing engagement, enthusiasm and dedication as key components.
A particularly interesting discussion came out of the panelist’s advice for mentoring millennials. Rousso said, “This generation is fascinating and frustrating, asking themselves ‘why am I working for the sake of working,’ wanting their work to make a difference, have purpose, and be more than a paycheck.” Epifano and Archer both agreed that understanding this is important when mentoring this generation; the mentee should come to the relationship with an agenda and lead the way, with the mentor taking cues and adapting.
Johnston spoke to the dynamics of mentee/mentor relationships between those of the same generation, seeing it as a unique, fruitful type of connection. She said, “Working with your peers allows you to relate tangible experiences to what they are going through right now, which could be more useful than with a larger age gap.” Beasley was equally positive, stressing that as long as there is mutual respect and both parties are getting something back, mentorship is valuable regardless of age differences.
The panelists also discussed the role of technology in mentorship. Epifano and Rousso both noted technology as an opportunity for reverse mentoring, where the mentee has technical skills that a senior colleague can learn from.
Shown (from left) are: Gemma Beasley, Hays Recruiting; Olivia Rousso (talking), Gilbane Building Co.; Liz Archer, Dewberry; and Adam Schaffer, Bloomberg.Panelists had much to say about being a mentor at different times in one’s career. Archer, who has served this role in many different ways, emphasized that whether it is mentoring high school students as a 20-year-old herself, or currently offering advice and encouragement to senior-level colleagues, anyone can benefit from a mentor. Schaffer divided a career path into stages noting that mentorship is useful at any point, but most vital during the transitions between these stages.
The panelists proceeded to discuss the various forms of mentorship that occur currently within their respective companies, both formal and informal. Attendees of all ages were left with a strong understanding of the value of mentorship in their work lives. Kinshuk Sharma, a student in Columbia University’s graduate program in Construction Engineering and Management, said that “watching such strong women in such powerful positions reinstates my trust in myself and inspires me. I hope to continue to be in touch with all these women and use their career path as a helpful tool to gauge and build my own.”
PWC president Chelsea LeMar challenged each person in the room to get coffee with one other person present whom they had not met before, to help spur these relationships.
The event was sponsored by Hays Recruiting and Steelcase.
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