Meet Piers Charters-Wood and Steve Reynolds.
Piers was mentored by Steve through TIME’s 21st intake in 2016. We asked them for recollections of their shared TIME experience as Mentor and Mentee.
Here’s what they had to say.
PIERS
What drew you to the TIME program?
The opportunity to participate in TIME was offered by my company. I had just taken a new management position, and saw it as a fantastic opportunity to help me through the first months of the new role.
What do you recall from your first session with Steve?
I recall being quite unsure, actually. Not about being mentored, but about how to approach the mentoring process. I had never participated in a mentoring program before TIME.
I remember feeling at ease when I met Steve. He has a very calm manner and we were able to establish a good relationship early on.
What did you find the most challenging part of your TIME mentoring experience?
The most challenging part was also something I really enjoyed: constantly questioning myself on the ideas and decisions I brought to my meetings with Steve. It provided a great opportunity to hold a mirror up and ensure I was always challenging myself.
And the most rewarding?
The most rewarding for me was receiving validation from Steve that my thinking and ideas were sound, albeit with a bit of a tweak here and there. Additionally, Steve was fantastic in guiding me through recruitment processes and the establishment of a team culture I was keen to implement.
A year after graduating from TIME, I had developed a great team at work, and established a terrific team culture making a real difference to our customers.
What specific learnings from your experience guide you in your career now?
That you can never stop learning.
TIME’s mentoring program has given me the confidence to perform at a high level within my role. I know, however, that I can’t be complacent – I have to continue developing skills and knowledge to ensure that both my team and I are able to evolve and progress.
In what ways do you feel your career prospects have been enhanced by your TIME experience?
The TIME mentoring program has given me the confidence to back myself and the decisions I make. As a result, I am more decisive in my actions.
Who should consider being a Mentee?
Anyone with aspirations to progress their career!
The mentors who participate in the program are extremely generous with their time, and have a wealth of experience which they’re happy to share.
It is such a great way to help drive your career forward.
Describe your TIME experience in three words.
Timing. Was. Perfect.
STEVE
How did you get involved in the TIME program?
Quite simply, I read an article in Travel Daily seeking volunteers to become mentors, and jumped at the chance.
Why?
TIME provides an opportunity to give something back to an industry that has been very good to me. It’s a great privilege to help prepare tomorrow’s industry leaders with practical insight and impartial advice.
How many TIME participants have you mentored?
Piers was my second mentee.
How would you describe Piers’ development through the mentoring program?
Piers had just commenced a management role – a newly created one, and his first step up from a Team Leader/Supervisor position. He had a clear view of what he wanted from the mentor experience, which helped give focus and clarity to his motive and objectives.
Piers was confident, constructive and attentive. He came well prepared with the topics he wanted to address, and had already formed a view which he wanted to test and validate.
I believe he completed the TIME program confident that he was on the right track to success in his new role, having successfully achieved all of the milestones we set in the period, and measuring what that looked like.
What was the most satisfying thing for you about mentoring Piers?
His positive approach to learning, and converting that knowledge into sound decision-making in his new role, as well as creating a positive work culture for his team.
Mentors often state that they learn many things from their Mentees, what did you learn from Piers?
I think it keeps you really grounded and in touch with how your own staff and managers will be coping with their every day challenges, and how they can also be supported in their roles.
A healthy dose of empathy, for sure.
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