CPHR Alberta Mentoring Program: A 2-way Street

05
Apr 2023
273
Two women are sitting at a table with a laptop and talking to each other.

Author: Jesse Cheetham

As someone who has participated as both a protégé and mentor in the CPHR Alberta mentoring program, I can attest to the valuable two-way learning this opportunity brings. Not only did I learn a great deal from my mentors early in my career, I also found that my experiences and perspectives were valuable to them as well. When I transitioned to mentoring other HR professionals, I found I stayed curious and learned as much or more from them as they have from me. The program has been very rewarding, I encourage you to take part!

One of the key benefits of a mentoring program is the opportunity to learn from someone who has more experience in your field. An overlooked secondary benefit is the learning of new trends, fresh concepts, and mindsets that comes from protégé to mentor. This can be particularly valuable in HR, where our areas of responsibility are ever-growing and where the landscape is constantly changing.

What I have found most valuable as a mentor has been the opportunity to listen, be a sounding board, and learn while helping others navigate their HR journey. The learning through sharing of unique experiences and perspectives is of high value for HR professionals at all levels. By sharing experiences, a natural two-way dialogue ensues, that enriches the understanding of the HR field for all participants.

For example, a protégé was able to share some of the challenges they were facing in managing a employee relations in a different industry. I was was able to provide some guidance on how to address those challenges, and through this found their experiences and insights incredibly valuable. I was curious to learn more about how they and their peers were approaching work and what their priorities and concerns were. This was information that I might not have had direct access to otherwise, and it helped me to better understand the needs and perspectives of a key demographic.

Similarly, I was able to learn more deeply in emerging HR technologies and how they were being adopted. While I was familiar with some of these technologies, I was not as deeply immersed in them as the protégé was. By sharing experiences and insights, we were both able to better understand the implications of these technologies and how they might impact our current organizations and the field more broadly. Of course, the two-way learning in a mentoring program isn't just about sharing experiences and perspectives. It's also about building a relationship that is beneficial for both parties. Through our discussions, my mentors/protégé and I have been able to develop a strong rapport that went beyond just the exchange of information. We felt comfortable sharing our thoughts and opinions with each other, and we were invested in each other's success.

Creating a Safe Space for the Mentorship Relationship:

  • Establish boundaries – what are you comfortable discussing, what are you not comfortable discussing?
  • Establish confidentiality – whatever is shared is confidential. Then PROVE it. Nothing builds trust faster that doing what you say you will.
  • Set intentions for each meeting and any take-aways or homework for next meeting.
  • Stay curious and genuine. Be interested in your mentor/protégé and their success.
  • LISTEN before recommending. It’s easy to jump into recommending but wait and listen first.
  • Build bridges with helpful connections for your mentor/protégé.

Another way that these mentoring relationships have been beneficial for me was in terms of networking. Initially, my mentors were well-connected in the field, and they were able to introduce me to other professionals who could provide me with additional guidance and support. Through these introductions, I was able to expand my network and learn even more from others in the field. As a mentor myself, the organic networking has continued. Through focusing on connecting the proteges with my network, the result has been improved relationships, leading to deeper connections expanding my network. This networking has been very valuable, especially for introverted folks, like me.

Overall, my experience of open, two-way learning in the CPHR Alberta mentoring program has proven incredibly valuable and rewarding. While I certainly learned a great deal from my mentor(s), I have also found the shared experiences and perspectives from protégés equally valuable. By creating a safe space and engaging in open two-way dialogue as both protégé and mentor, I have been rewarded with deeper understanding of the HR field, emerging trends, outside the box ideas, and strong, beneficial connections while giving back to the HR community.

If you have the opportunity to participate in the CPHR Alberta mentoring program, take the plunge, you won’t regret it.


The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong soley to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta. 

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.



Leadership Opportunity: Chief Executive Officer for CPHR Canada

April 17, 2026
Original post by CPHR Canada, March 31, 2026

The Quiet Work of Becoming a Leader

By Jessica Jaithoo • April 13, 2026
Author: Kanwaljit Chaudhry , 2026 Editorial Committee Member Leadership rarely begins the way we expect it to. It doesn’t arrive with a title, a promotion, or a formal announcement. More often, it begins quietly, in moments that don’t look like leadership at all. A conversation where someone turns to you for direction. A meeting where the discussion stalls and you step in to move it forward. A situation where something feels off, and you choose to address it instead of walking away. These moments are easy to overlook. They don’t come with recognition or validation. Yet they are often where the real work of becoming a leader begins. It Starts Before You Feel Ready Many people assume they need to feel confident before they lead. In reality, leadership often shows up before confidence does. You may not have the answers. You may not feel fully prepared. You may even question whether it is your place to step forward. And yet, something in the situation asks you to. This is where leadership begins, not in certainty, but in response. The quiet decision to engage, to take responsibility, to move something forward. You Learn by Doing (and Re-doing) In the early stages, it’s common to try on different ways of leading. You might imitate someone you admire. You might try to sound more decisive than you feel. You might hold back when speaking up feels uncomfortable. Some approaches will work. Others won’t. That’s not failure; that’s formation. Over time, you begin to notice patterns: When do people respond to you? When do conversations open up or shut down? What feels natural, and what feels forced? This is how your way of leading starts to take shape not through theory, but through experience. The Moments That Stay With You There are certain experiences that leave a mark. A difficult conversation you didn’t handle the way you hoped. A decision you made under pressure. A moment where someone trusted you and you rose to meet it. These are the moments you replay later. Not because they were perfect, but because they mattered. They shape your instincts. They clarify your values. They quietly influence how you show up the next time. This is the deeper work of leadership. The kind that happens after the moment has passed. Learning to See What Others Don’t Yet See As you grow, leadership begins to shift. It’s no longer just about responding well in the moment. It becomes about noticing what might be coming next. You begin to ask: What risks are we not talking about? Where might this situation go if we don’t address it? What does the team need before the pressure builds? This is a subtle but important transition from reacting to anticipating. And it often develops quietly, through experience rather than instruction. Letting Go of What No Longer Works One of the less visible parts of leadership is learning to let go. Letting go of the need to have all the answers. Letting go of habits that once worked but no longer serve you. Letting go of the version of leadership you thought you needed to become. This isn’t easy work. It requires honesty, humility, and a willingness to change. But it’s often where the most meaningful growth happens. The Role of Reflection Leadership doesn’t grow from experience alone; it grows from reflection. Taking time to pause and ask: What happened there? What did I learn? What would I do differently next time? These moments of reflection don’t need to be formal. Sometimes they happen in conversation. Sometimes they happen quietly, at the end of the day. But they matter. Because they turn experience into insight and insight into growth. Becoming, Not Arriving There is a point many professionals are waiting for the moment when they will feel like a leader. For most, that moment never arrives in the way they expect. Because leadership is not a destination. It is an ongoing process of becoming. It is shaped in small, often unseen moments: when you choose to step forward when you learn from what didn’t go as planned when you adjust your approach when you stay open to learning The quiet work of becoming a leader is not always visible to others. But over time, it becomes visible in how you think, how you act, and how others experience your presence. And that is what leadership truly looks like. “Leadership is not built in the moments where everything goes right. It is built in the moments where you pause, reflect, and choose to grow.”

A Fresh Start: How Spring Can Inspire New Goals

By Jessica Jaithoo • March 16, 2026
Author: Rheya Patel, 2026 Social Media Committee Member As days become longer and the weather warms up, the first day of spring brings a sense of renewal and new beginnings. A time that feels more energizing and people are more motivated to reset their routines, look for new opportunities and clear away old habits. While spring is commonly associated with “spring cleaning” in the home, perhaps the same principal can be applies to the workplace. For organizations and HR groups, spring can be the perfect opportunity to encourage employees to reflect and construct new meaningful goals and “clean” out the “clutter” of goals that no longer help them grow or have already been achieved. Why is Spring the Perfect Time for Goal Setting? With the rush of returning to work after the holidays and resuming normal life, spring gives a perfect moment to pause and reflect. Employees can check on their progress, realign priorities and continue the year with renewed motivation. For HR teams, encouraging this reflection can re-engage employees and increase motivation. In turn, employees are more likely to be focused and productive while creating a space for meaningful conversations about growth, development, and career progression. How Can We Encourage Goal Reflection? Believe it or not, HR plays a crucial role in goal setting whether it is realized or not. Creating an open work environment where employees feel supported and encouraged with professional development is key in reflection and goal setting. Below are several ways organizations can use the season of renewal to inspire growth and goal setting. Encourage Reflection What accomplishments have employees made that they are proud of? What challenges have they faced? Asking these kind of questions and having one-on-one check-ins with employees can help support employees to openly discuss their goals and aspirations, and potentially create new goals. Promote Professional Development and Growth The arrival of spring can also create the chance to introduce new learning opportunities. Having a fresh mindset combined with training, workshops, mentorship initiatives, or skill-building programs, employees can feel more motivated and supported in pursuing growth.  This helps employees expand their skillsets and strengthen the organization as a whole. Foster Collaboration and New Ideas Tying back to renewed energy, organizations can encourage teams to collaborate and share new ideas. Brainstorming sessions, innovation workshops, or team goal-setting can foster inspiration and connectivity, Having an open space for discussions can help teams align goals with organizational priorities to promote innovation and productivity. Celebrate Progress Recognizing progress along the way is essential. Celebrating achievements and acknowledging progress have a significant impact on employee morale. Employee recognition programs, team shoutouts, or words of appreciation can go a long way to remind employees how valuable their efforts and contributions are and continue to motivate them to strive towards their goals. Final Thoughts The arrival of spring represents renewal, growth, and new possibilities. For HR professionals, it’s also the opportunity to encourage employees to pause, reflect, and move through the rest of the year with renewed purpose. Encouraging goal setting, promoting professional development, fostering collaboration, and celebrating progress, can tie the season of newness to inspire meaningful growth. The new season reminds us that progress doesn’t need to start January 1st. Sometimes, a change in perspective, and a little springtime inspiration, can be the step towards pursuing new goals and growth with confidence.
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