Kati Huovinmaa embraces mentoring as a highly effective way for influencing change and personal development. The assistance of an experienced individual in helping another person progress is a very impactful way to develop leadership and achieve further success.
We talked with Kati Huovinmaa about the importance of mentoring and the opportunities good mentorship can create. This former museum director left the field for something more dynamic as a professional leader and change manager. In our conversation, Huovinmaa strongly focused on the many rewards of being a mentor. Her long experience with mentoring has given her a deep understanding of the subject.
It’s fulfilling to be a mentor
One of the key takeaways from our conversation is the fulfillment that being a mentor brings.
Committing to being a mentor can be a big step, but in the end it can also be extremely rewarding to see your mentee grow and learn. The primary goal for the mentor, which is ensuring the success of your mentee, results in a fulfilling outcome.
Dare to be honest
Huovinmaa expressed her thoughts about Vertical’s mentoring program, Synapsi. “I find the Synapsi program to have a very bold objective, which is that the mentees dare to be brutally honest. As a radical thinker and advocate for change, I’m drawn to this”. She emphasized the importance of being honest with yourself and your mentor, to come up with innovative solutions for their own leadership and personal development. Both the mentor and mentor pair within the group will support the mentee in their development.
The most important thing, according to Kati Huovinmaa, for both the mentor and mentee is being brave and embracing honesty. In that way both will get the most out of their experience. Mentoring’s strength lies in shaping leadership skills, boosting your career and fostering success.
The Synapsi Mentoring Program was created to help current and aspiring leaders clarify the requirements of management, receive support in growing into the role of a leader, and develop concrete ways to solve everyday challenges. In addition, the program enables networking with colleagues and other stakeholders interested in leadership. Synapsi is made possible by Vertical and AstraZeneca in cooperation with NLY and KEVA. Read more about Synapsi here >
