“Me a mentor! How does that work?” Fran was genuinely surprised – and worried and intrigued. “I only qualified last year. I’m not sure I’m the right person to be advising someone else how to be a lawyer!”
Fran had trained and qualified at FFS, was now doing a range of commercial work and hoping to specialise in employment – in the creative and tech industries. She had a plan. So far it was going to plan. But this mentoring idea ……
Ev, a recently promoted partner in the firm, who Fran definitely placed in the “good guys” category, smiled and waited.
“OK Ev, tell me more about it. But I hope it’s not that drip Harry (a new trainee) – he usually looks like he still needs matron from his public school to tell him what day it is!”
Ev let the comment about his nephew pass.
“No, it’s not Harry. And give the guy a chance – he’s only been here five minutes.”
“It’s Beth”, again Ev smiled and waited.
“What! Now you really are having a laugh. Beth must be ….” Fran looked at the ceiling to aid with her calculation of the age of one of the firms most admired and liked partners, “about 50 and I thought she was about to retire.”
“In fact she’s 60, not planning to retire, but is taking on a new role. She’s going to work with Mel on HR stuff – specifically talent management in the firm. And with Pieter on business development. And we think – I think - you could really help her.”
Fran paused briefly to take on board the phrase “talent management” which she had never previously heard within the walls of FFS.
“So, what I meant to do if I am a mentor for Beth? I think I’d be more interested in impressing her than telling her what to do.”
“Fair enough Fran. I get what you say. We need to talk a bit more about what this sort of mentoring would involve. And it won’t be you telling Beth what to do, I promise. But you certainly will have the chance to impress her. Interested?
“Ok, yes.” Fran was still bemused, but definitely interested.