Every quarter, we eagerly showcase team members who have taken part in Branch Out, HICV’s half-year mentorship initiative where senior executives share their wisdom and guidance. In this program, team members engage in a “circle structure,” which comprises one mentor and four to five mentees meeting monthly. This setup enables participants not only to gain knowledge from their mentors but also to connect with colleagues from different parts of the company.
We wanted this newsletter to reflect the unique structure of the program, so we are excited to catch up with Michael Kelly and Teri Cross, who both participated in the Spring/Summer session of Branch Out, Michael as a mentor and Teri as a mentee in the same mentor circle.
Meet Michael Kelly – Director of Sales and Marketing Operations
Q: What were your key takeaways from the circle. And how have they shaped or changed your perspective?
A: I had many takeaways as a mentor, our team members are passionate about our business, they are passionate about helping their peers find success, but most importantly they are dedicated to the overall growth plan of the company. All the members of my circle are dedicated to being a part of the company vision for the future. I was inspired by this group, they were cheering each other on and sharing tips and advice as early as our second session, they have never stopped. We have an ongoing Teams chat that is full of advice and communication that our circle can utilize any time they need encouragement. We have even had a few follow-up sessions when one of the circle members wanted to think tank an idea before sharing it more broadly.
My perspective didn’t change, in fact, I am even more devout in my belief that the leaders and the team members of this company are here because this company is personal to us, we feel an ownership over what we do, and we bleed orange.
Q: What were the most rewarding aspects of being a mentor in this group. How do you feel it impacted your own personal and professional growth?
A: The most rewarding aspect of this program for me was seeing the members of the circle embracing the content laid out in the program and sharing their ideas, watching the subject matter come to life through either practical application or first-hand stories.
This group re-ignited my passion for the work that I do daily. Being the Director of Operations in the Call Center means that I have at least a few days a week where I am spending more time with spreadsheets than with people, so having the opportunity to share my experience with a new group of team members was really a lot of fun for me. This is an exciting and challenging industry, but the knowledge sharing aspect of Branch Out was incredible.
Q: What is one piece of advice you have for leaders aspiring to be mentors in the Branch Out program?
A: Share with your circle, openly and honestly. They will learn more from hearing about your professional trails, tribulations, and war stories than anything else you have to offer. Invite them to learn from each other, circle members have stories and memories that will resonate with each other and with you. Having had the opportunity to lead two circles I can honestly say this is my favorite part of the program.
Meet Teri Cross – Manger, Title Services
Q: Reflect on your interactions with your mentor and fellow mentees. What were the most valuable moments or conversations that you had?
A: It’s difficult to choose just one moment to highlight because each session was phenomenal. I think that our group was extremely fortunate to have Michael Kelly as our mentor. If we had a lot going on and couldn’t make it to the group session, he made time to meet with us, one-on-one, to discuss the topic of the month. And he cared about each of us – this wasn’t a work obligation that he was fulfilling to put on a resume. He made the time to get to know us and interact with each of us outside of our sessions. He even followed up with us when we had big events going on. Michael’s dedication to Branch Out, and to each one of us, is what truly made this experience special to me. Our circle still keeps in contact regularly. They are relationships that mean the world to me.
Q: What were your key takeaways from the circle. And how have they shaped or changed your perspective?
A: The articles and the conversations shared in my circle really helped provide a deeper level of insight into each topic. Being able to have a safe place to share opinions helped me see things with new eyes and gave me a different perspective. For example, in a past life, I witnessed “emotional intelligence” used as a type of weapon. I worked with leaders who had the mindset of, “If you had a bad day, you better work on your emotional intelligence.” It was a phrase that made my skin crawl, so when I saw it was a topic for Branch Out, I was not happy. However, after reading the article and talking through the topic, it has vastly changed how I view emotional intelligence, and it no longer gives me negative feelings.
Q: Looking ahead, what are your future aspirations for mentorship, whether that be as a mentee or mentor. How do you envision contributing to the development of your team?
A: I really hope to be a “Michael” for others in the future. I like to think that my team already views me as a mentor but would also love the opportunity to fill that role for people outside of my team. I continuously encourage as many people as possible to participate in Branch Out along with looking into any learning opportunities offered by ALD. You can never learn too much! And Branch Out is such a great program, I would highly recommend it to all team members!
The current session of Branch Out is wrapping up last month and we are so excited to be kicking off this next session of Branch Out with five new mentor circles that will discuss important developments such as communication, emotional intelligence, and personal brand.
