SCMAP Perspective is our fortnightly column on PortCalls, tackling the latest developments in the supply chain industry, as well as updates from within SCMAP. On this column, Henrik Batallones explores the role mentorship plays in developing the next generation of supply chain practitioners.
The importance of mentorship
HONG KONG – There aren’t a lot of English-language television channels in my hotel room, but whenever I tune in, they’re talking about the same thing: a lot of disruption going on in the world. Between Donald Trump upending the world older to suit his worldview, and China attempting to fill the vacuum during its heavily-choreographed Two Sessions – not to mention their collective impact on many, many other things happening in our backyard and elsewhere in the world – it’s easy to see why so many are feeling apprehensive.
At the dawn of yet more trying and interesting times, my mind goes back to the importance of mentorship.
Sure, I also have this in mind in light of our recently concluded Supply Chain Outlook event, which saw the induction of our new Board of Directors – and also the formal unveiling of our Supply Chain Leaders’ Advisory Council. This group, composed of SCMAP’s past presidents and directors coming from diverse industry backgrounds, was brought together to help the Board and the organization as a whole navigate these challenges with their experience and insight. We have been tapping them whenever we put together a response to various stakeholders’ requests for feedback and information; formalizing this arrangement would also help further cement SCMAP’s position as the premiere supply chain organization in the country.
Personally, it is also an exciting opportunity to have these industry veterans easily available. Our chat groups get really animated whenever discussion of big local and international issues come up, because it means they get to share their views on how they can affect our supply chains and, in turn, our economic competitiveness and our quality of life. Nothing quite beats decades of experience helping one approach these issues from different angles. As someone whose route to the supply chain industry is unconventional – through communications rather than through operations – being able to pick their brains is quite a privilege.
Opportunities to learn from your leaders – opportunities for mentorship – can get one very far. Apart from the rush of being taken under a senior’s wing (in a good way, I must stress) it allows one to learn things they wouldn’t otherwise learn in a formal education setting, or even in the course of one’s work. Sure, both are important in forming one’s capabilities and strengths in their chosen profession, but mentorship provides a unique window not just into how to do things, but how one makes decisions. These are things that you don’t easily learn, as it provides a glimpse into what the mentor values and prioritizes, as well as the conditions and circumstances that influence their choices.
From an organizational perspective, mentorship can also help address our ongoing issues with attracting and retaining supply chain talent. The new generation of supply chain professionals value these learning opportunities, seeing it as a way to step up the career ladder much quicker. (Considering the aforementioned geopolitical concerns, it’s no surprise.) Apart from training programs and on-the-job experience, mentorship provides an intimate opportunity to make one feel valued and valuable in the organization, and to make them feel their career decisions are worthwhile.
Also equally important, understanding the decision making process allows one to more confidently forge their own way and make decisions that are appropriate to the situation, rather than just mirroring what was done before “because that’s how things have always been”. Not so much repeating the mistakes of the past than learning from it. Of course, it’s critical that our mentors are also up to the task, and are willing to embrace the role not as a means to one’s ego-centric ends, or to attempt to cement one’s legacy, but to truly further the cause of the new generation and of the organization they collectively represent.
That brings me back to our own Supply Chain Leaders’ Advisory Council. I have had the privilege of working directly with all members, and I have seen how they are best suited to the role they are now embracing: their unique perspective, their love of SCMAP, and their commitment to furthering not just the organization, but the profession as well. One hopes that many of us have this opportunity early in our careers – and that, when we reach a certain point, we are ready to provide this opportunity to others as well.