Much has been written and discussed about mentorship. Because we have had our own mentor and mentee relationship for nearly 20 years, we thought we would get
into the conversation. Before we do, it’s probably helpful that we tell you a little bit about our relationship. We first met in the fall of 2001, when Demetra began as a new associate in the bankruptcy
group in which Berry was a partner.
For the first few months of Demetra’s career, we did not work much together. But shortly after completing her first assignment, a great working relationship had been launched. Interestingly enough, we never had a formal mentor or mentee relationship even though our firm had both a mentoring program and a partner-associate advisor program. We were not assigned to each other as a part of either program. As a result, we cannot definitively state that we ever defined specific career goals or objectives that one might typically expect from involvement in a formal mentor program. Instead, our relationship developed organically, and in addition to working on a number of cases and assignments together, we also officed next door to each other.
Over time, our working relationship became a great mentorship and friendship. Even after Berry left the firm, our friendship continued to grow and continues to this day. Through the years, here are a few things that we have learned:
A good mentor is a trusted advisor
Demetra: A mentor is, by definition, an experienced or trusted advisor. What that essentially means is that a mentor is a person you can rely on or come to for advice in any and all situations. And our relationship was no different. As my mentor, Berry shared information with me about his own career experience and path. He has provided guidance and motivation. He has given emotional support, which has included consultation on taking stretch assignments or serving as a sounding board when I was thinking of making a career transition.
Berry: Not all mentor/mentee relationships will work seamlessly, much less survive the test of time. I honestly believe that our mentor/mentee relationship and friendship was and is unique. We never followed a check-the-box regimen and looking back, that probably afforded us many freedoms that a pre-programmed relationship would not have endorsed, but it did allow us to create and build a strong sense of trust and loyalty, and ultimately, a deep bond of friendship.
A good mentor helps you set
and achieve goals
Demetra: Berry has helped me set both strategic and personal goals and he has helped me identify areas of growth or growth
Lessons Learned from Mentorship
Over the Years
Demetra Liggins, Thompson & Knight LLP and
Berry Spears, Keller Benvenutti Kim LLP
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