Q&A with June Luncheon Speaker Heather McKissick

Written by Victoria Williams.

Find out if mentoring is right for you next week at this month’s luncheon, “Learn a Little (or a Lot), Lend a Hand: How Mutually-Beneficial Mentoring Fosters Community, Builds Relationships + Careers.”

Heather McKissick, who is Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development for University Federal Credit Union, will be the featured speaker. She is also the former President and CEO of Leadership Austin.

Get to know McKissick better through this Q&A:

Q: Who has been a good mentor to you and why?
A: I have had multiple mentors throughout my life and career. From master facilitators like Sam Planta who showed me by example how to lead a group, to former bosses and colleagues like Christopher Kennedy and Marcia Silverberg who taught me how to run a business, to community leaders who I admire and trust like Amber Carden and Ron Kessler, who taught me how to encourage and influence others without formal authority. And so many more.

Q: What qualities make for a great mentor?
A: This varies so much by individual! A great mentor is one who fits the mentees unique needs. Some people need someone who will just be a sounding board, a gentle listener. Other people need a mentor that will really hold them to task-an accountability partner in a different way. Most great mentors are good listeners, are patient, and find genuine fulfillment and watching others learn and grow.

Q: What are some of the benefits to being a mentor?
A: I think a mentor is always the one that comes out ahead. When I mentor someone, I learn from them every time we meet. I find this to be especially true in mentoring members of the young professional community. They keep me up-to-date on the latest thinking, ventures, technologies, trends. The greatest benefit to being a mentor is watching someone you truly care about flourish.

Q: Tell me a little about the presentation you’ll be giving at the luncheon?
A: We will cover the two basic types of mentor and how to know which type of mentor will be best for you at this stage in your life and career. We’ll also think through some of the characteristics that the right mentor for you will have, and do some self-assessment about how ready you are for a mentor. We’ll cover how to find the right mentor, how long you should stay with one once you have found them, and how to get the very most out of the relationship.

Q: How has mentoring or being mentored helped you to get to where you are today?
A: Good mentoring relationships – on both sides of the equation – have helped me be more self-reflective, and examine my motives, patterns and attitudes more deeply. I’ve also learned to trust myself more as a result of being trusted by mentees. Their trust is a valuable gift, I take it very seriously. Continuously earning that trust has made me more confident and pushes me to be the best person I can be.

The luncheon will be held at the University of Texas Club at Darrell K. Royal Stadium on Wednesday, June 17. It will be begin promptly at 11:45 a.m. and run through 1 p.m. There will be a short networking session prior to the start of the program at 11:30 a.m.

Register now.