By Lilly Adjorkor ADJEI\/Isaac Ato MENSAH
Tema – 13 February, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Twenty years ago in my undergrad days, there was an ad in a magazine with a lady on one page and a gentleman on another, each leaning on a mountain bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were both wearing designer sun glasses and smiling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In the foreground was mountain scenery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The text was simple:
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SHARED THE SAME PERSPECTIVE? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a great concept. When you like each other’s company, great productive creativity is born. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSHE:
In the wake of the #MeToo campaign, many men are shying away from cross gender relationships at work, church, schools, you name it. <\/p>\n\n\n\nMen mentoring women has become even more controversial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign which started in the United States has since spread throughout the world; Afghanistan, Nigeria, India, Germany, Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So men have the right to be concerned, maybe even scared, since prominent men have been accused of despicable conduct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should that stop or make men hesitate from mentoring women? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Sometimes there are big hurdles, but good players can overcome them,\u2019 says Sonny Bill Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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There certainly are great gains for both the mentee, mentor and the organisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
David Smith, an associate professor of sociology at the U.S. Naval War College and Brad Johnson, professor of psychology at the United States Naval Academy had a studio interview on the subject published in Harvard Business Review (published 23 October, 2018 on hbr.com) with host Sarah Green Carmicheal.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is what Johnson had to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BRAD JOHNSON: When a guy stands up and publicly promotes and sponsors a woman, we find research showing that his end-of-year evaluations actually go up. When a woman is a public sponsor for a junior woman, her evals are more likely to suffer. You know, she\u2019s viewed as showing favoritism; he\u2019s viewed as a champion for diversity. So there\u2019s even some inequity there, but all the more reason men have got to be willing to engage here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sarah Green Carmichael asked: \u2018so I\u2019m wondering if people want to get started, what the appropriate way to begin is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brad Johnson had a good suggestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘So we tell guys, be specific, say, \u201cHey, I saw you do this at that meeting\u201d or \u201cI watched how you put together this project and that was amazing. I\u2019d be willing to chat with you anytime, you know, I\u2019d love to hear where you\u2019d like to go and if I can be helpful.\u201d You know, so you offer and you know, I think very often she\u2019s likely to take you up on that and have a conversation. Keep it low key; don\u2019t require anything of her. Just make you know, make it clear that you think she\u2019s terrific and has done something very specific that you\u2019ve been noticing and then let her follow up with you.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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