Pitfalls to Avoid When Mentoring Diverse Professionals

Have you ever considered mentoring someone from a demographic group other than your own?

In 2020, we learned the importance of being mindful of the roles that race and ethnicity play in our daily lives. But even before last year’s racially unjust tragedies, diverse professionals have always been aware of how their differences stand out in workplace relationships. When our careers are at stake, we always wonder how our interactions with colleagues might be different if we were white.

Mentorship plays a significant role in how we network and make professional connections. The people we meet today might introduce us to employers or business partners days, weeks, months or even years in the future. 

Mentoring someone of a race, ethnicity or other demographic category different from our own requires certain nuances. And while mentoring a diverse professional can build a strong alliance between mentor and mentee, for the mentor there are pitfalls to avoid.

Sharing only diversity-related opportunities

Diverse professionals can bring valuable insights to organizations based on their life experiences, but it’s not a given that they can work, or are interested in working, on diversity as a career. Such pigeonholing of diverse talent makes the mistake that they can only be successful on multicultural and diversity-related projects. 

Instead, share professional opportunities related to the mentee’s stated interests. Make suggestions when asked, but otherwise let mentees describe their own dream roles.

Making introductions based on similar physical qualities

When mentoring Black professionals, introducing them to colleagues solely based on their shared race is a mistake that assumes all Black professionals are the same. Equally shortsighted are introductions based on people having similar physical characteristics or appearances.

Instead, make introductions based on interests the people share, which can build genuine connections and lead to professional opportunities. By asking the right questions, mentors can find the common ground with other colleagues that mentees need to thrive in their careers.

Prescribing solutions to other people’s experiences

If a diverse professional is comfortable opening up about his or her own personal challenges, it can harm the relationship when the mentor suggests the mentee is doing something wrong. Unless asked directly for such suggestions, mentors should tread lightly in providing advice about a mentee’s experiences with regard to their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

Instead, listen and learn. Empathize with the mentee’s experiences but don’t try to compare them to your own.

Showing off

The guidance that a mentor provides to a diverse mentee can quickly appear inauthentic or self-serving when the mentor posts about it on social media afterwards. Some people might admire the mentor’s good deed, but others will interpret sharing it publicly on social media as treating the mentee like a charity case.

Of course, it’s OK to give a helping hand to someone who needs it. But telling others about that help without permission can damage the mentee’s trust in the mentor, since it discloses private details about that person’s life.

Instead, mentors should keep their work with mentees confidential. If a mentor’s heart is in the right place, then helping another human being is all the recognition they will need. 

Ultimately, the key to successful mentoring is to take an active interest in the mentee’s professional development. Mentors can learn the differences as well as the similarities of their mentees to authentically build diverse connections.