Mentoring minorities

Health Progress, Jul/Aug 2001 by Thomas, David A

Despite fashionable talk about "diversity," African Americans still have great difficult advancing in U.S. companies. Studies show that even those who rise tend to get stuck in middle management, a result that has little to do with talent or the lack of it. And those people of color who do eventually become top executives usually require help from white mentors.

In any mentor-protege relationship, the former typically offers the latter three vital services:

Advice on ways to increase technical proficiency (suggesting relevant courses and seminars, for example).

Help in polishing political skills (offering counsel on what is and is not "done" in the workplace culture).

Sponsorship Pis a Pis other managers and executives (letting them know, in various subtle ways, that the protege enjoys the mentor's protection).

Because racism is a fact of life, minority proteges need such services even more than white proteges do. But executives who would like to mentor minorities should keep several possible complications in mind.

Negative Stereotypes Behave as if you expect your protege to succeed. Do not saddle him or her with putative ethnic characteristics.

Identification and Role Modeling Effective mentoring occurs when both parties see something of themselves in each other. Look for your own good traits in your protege.

Skepticism about Intimacy Be clear about your goals. Some coworkers, believing cross-racial work relationships impossible, may suggest that either you or your protege has an ulterior motive.

Public Scrutiny Because they are unusual, cross-racial relationships attract attention, which can be distracting. Stay focused on what you want to achieve.

Peer Resentment Out of jealousy, your protege's peers may try to drive a wedge between you. Do what you can to help him or her resist such pressures.

From David A. Thomas, "Race Matters: The Truth about Mentoring Minorities," Harvard Business Review, April 2001, pp. 99-107.