Mentoring is like steering a ship through vast, uncharted waters—what’s visible on the surface is only a fraction of the journey. Just as an experienced navigator reads the wind, currents, and subtle shifts in the sea, a skilled mentor learns to attune to the unspoken—the body language, energy, and emotional undercurrents that shape every interaction.
Becoming attuned to your mentees’ somatic presence is a significant undertaking. The ability to understand both what is said and what remains unspoken is essential in order to be a successful mentor and coach. Developing self-awareness during sessions benefits both mentors and mentees alike.
True mentoring goes beyond advice-giving. It requires deep presence, self-awareness, and the ability to listen at level three—where you’re not just hearing words, but sensing the whole environment. This kind of listening allows mentors to respond with empathy, insight, and intention, creating a safe harbor for growth.
Women in Pharma® launched Mentor ISPE in 2023 after two years of preparation with the support of a larger committee led by Carolina Serrano and Sara Brothers. The goal of the program was to guide others through their professional journeys. Like seasoned captains, we offer our knowledge, encouragement, and support to help our mentees navigate challenges, refine their skills, and ultimately chart a course toward their full potential.
In response to feedback from the program’s first two years, we restructured Mentor ISPE last year to better align with industry needs. The Mentor ISPE Core Team Committee—comprising Gaurav Walia, Jennifer Matlack, Amy Washco, and myself, all part of the original program design group—curated resources for mentors and mentees, developed targeted workshops, launched new discussion platforms, and introduced strategies to strengthen group cohesion.
To date, we have worked with over 800 individuals of diverse ethnicities, demographics, personalities, and different expectations and goals. We’re able to pair one mentor with up to four mentees per session, which usually run for up to 12 sessions.
Mentees have access to discussion platforms and other resources to support their growth, such as a resource library which has been expanded and now includes informational manuals with statistics, sources, and questions to prompt important discussions. This year, we’ve added webinars and guest speakers to the program in an effort to expose mentees to different facets of the pharmaceutical industry.
Another recent addition has been the expansion of mentor training initiatives through workshops, guidance, tools, techniques, group discussions, and forums. And, we’ve just introduced a new ‘moderator’ role for aspiring mentors to help with scheduling meetings, tracking action items, and helping manage group dynamics.
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Through surveys and general operations, we’ll continue to collect feedback from mentoring sessions which will serve as key performance indicators to guide program improvements and ensure the program continues to meet the needs of its members.
Join us in shaping lives through mentoring with the Mentor ISPE program. As filmmaker Steven Spielberg once said, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” This is the essence of what Mentor ISPE offers to members who join this program.
We look forward to another year of transformative personal and professional growth for participants.
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Becoming a member of ISPE offers numerous benefits, including access to a vast network of professionals, exclusive training events, and valuable resources. As a member, you'll join more than 22,000 of your professional peers from over 120 countries in advancing solutions that lead to improved patient health. Membership provides access to 20+ complimentary ISPE Good Practice Guides, a robust library of on-demand training and e-learning resources, and much more. Learn more and consider joining today.
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