Mentoring, the ultimate confidence boost!

January is International Mentoring Month and FLUID 2020 has officially begun!

As always, listening to the mentors and mentees' perspectives, experience and aspirations have been incredibly inspiring!  FLUID is now in its 8th year and one of the most common topics that come up from both mentors and mentees is the desire to grow and inspire confidence. So why does the challenge of growing in confidence come up so regularly for programme participants?

We believe that one key reason is that many of our participants are in many ways pioneers. The FLUID programme supports those underrepresented in construction and with such low levels of representation from diverse groups such as women, disabled people, people who are LGBT+ and people of colour it is often the case that diverse practitioners are quietly paving the way in their chosen professions and in the industry at large.

Many people who are studying and working in the construction sector note that the culture can be tough and that they have to work harder to prove themselves and to be taken seriously. This is often exacerbated when the student or practitioner is from a more diverse background as the stereotyping of an individual, based on their background, not on their ability, can prevail. 

But is it really “Imposter Syndrome”?

Much has been written about the notion of imposter syndrome, defined as 

“...The persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills.” source Dictionary.com

Imposter Syndrome is a common situation particularly impacting people who are high achievers and those with perfectionist traits. But is it really imposter syndrome when you are constantly being told directly and indirectly that you are not good enough because of your gender or background?

Thankfully, a great way to address low-confidence and the issues that can arise from being a pioneer is to work with a mentor. 

“In the purest sense, confidence is knowing what you're good at, the value you provide, and acting in a way that conveys that to others.”

Source - Wikipedia

An increase in confidence helps people to build resilience, lessen anxiety and drive aspirations. While it doesn’t make you immune from setbacks or failure, people who possess self-confidence will tend to want to stretch their abilities and try new things.   

The growth in confidence that we witness as part of the many benefits of mentoring is further evidenced by how many of FLUID’s participants go on to progress in their careers, expand their networks, gain new skills and new opportunities. Over 85% of FLUID participants report an increase in their confidence after taking part in the programme. 

We know that working with individuals to develop a better understanding of themselves delivers transformation for the individual, which they then apply to their passion for architecture and the built environment. This begs the question, what if the sector was designed to ensure that everyone and particularly diverse talent could thrive and positively contribute?

We believe that better inclusive working strategies, along with person-centred learning through mentoring, will continue to make the change needed to the construction sector.