One of the core aims of the AXIS Network is to connect professionals in the Aberdeen Energy industry, to foster an environment where everyone can operate at their best. One practical way of achieving this is by providing a mentoring scheme aimed at facilitating participants to come together in a supportive way to encourage mutual growth and progression no matter their ‘make up’.
Creating a valued, cross-industry mentoring scheme run by a volunteer committee and with volunteer mentors and mentees from a range of companies could be seen as a pretty ambitious task. However, with 17 pairs having started Cohort 3 of the AXIS mentoring programme, there appears to be a real appetite to make this happen and we are up for the challenge to ensure its value. Maybe because there were no barriers to application (other than being an AXIS member), we already have visible diversity across the 34 participants. Our mentors and mentees represent both genders, a wide age spectrum, they come from small enterprises to large corporations, they represent a range of nationalities and ethnicities and have a variety of job types, career levels and experience. How excellent that we have people from such a range of different skills and backgrounds working together to achieve that common goal of ‘mutual growth and progression’.
Fuelled by the energy and enthusiasm of the participants, the AXIS Mentoring Leads have put in place a programme founded on good practice to ensure quality, yet kept it simple to maximize the likelihood of sustainability. As with any mentoring programme, if the foundations are not solid, the programme is not going to achieve its aims and to be honest, you’d be right to question why people committed their time to it.
A good deal of time and effort was put into getting those foundations in place and, importantly, sharing them with participants . These include clear Terms of Reference, the application form gleaned high level information on which the matching was based, and the emphasis on confidentiality is paramount. Whilst the existence of the AXIS Mentoring Programme is no secret, what the mentoring pairs cover is confidential between the two of them unless they agree otherwise. In late May there was an informal and fun workshop to launch the programme; participants shared what they thought mentoring was all about and how they could get the best from this partnership. There will be a mid-point check-in (survey and workshop) and, of course, support is available from the AXIS mentoring leads at any point. And, importantly, at the end, Cohort 3 will come together to celebrate!
And what do we hope to be celebrating?
- Individuals will have addressed some of their important issues;
- New/alternative perspectives have been offered and considered;
- There has been a broadening of mindsets (of both mentees and mentors);
- Richer, enlarged networks are evident;
- There is improved collaboration;
- Provision of support and sharing of learning;
- And increased diversity of thought.
So keep an eye out for future updates and see whether at least some these ambitions become realities for those on the AXIS Mentoring Programme.
For those interested in participating in future Cohorts, please make sure you register as an AXIS member and watch out for the 2020 launch. We’d love to offer all comers the opportunity to grow and progress in the oil & gas industry…and leverage the very best of diversity in our industry.
Susan Gordon
AXIS Network committee mentoring lead