Embarking on a mentorship journey can be both exciting and challenging. Whether you are a mentor ready to share your knowledge or a mentee eager to learn, the early stage of this relationship is crucial. A strong start lays the foundation for trust, open communication, and mutual respect, all of which are key to a successful and rewarding partnership. Exploring best practices and drawing on insights from past mentorship participants can help mentors and mentees establish the right tone from the outset, fostering a productive and positive experience for both.
Laura Desalle CPA, CGA is a wife and mother to two boys living in rural Alberta. Laura has a range of experience in public practice, not-for-profit, and private enterprises in the oil and gas industry. Laura was paired with Jan Poetsch CPA, CMA in CPA Alberta’s 2023/24 mentorship program. Jan describes himself as an energy enthusiast, happily married, and father to two beautiful girls. Originally from Germany, Jan’s wanderlust led him to explore several countries and educational paths, studying Industrial Engineering in Germany, Mandarin in China, and finance in the UK. Ultimately, he combined his engineering and finance experience and settled in Canada 14 years ago, where he eventually earned his CMA and CPA qualifications through a mutual recognition agreement.
What were your feelings coming into the mentorship relationship?
Laura: It was scary at first: the unknown of what to expect and how to navigate the opportunity. I was partnered with an individual who had such a wide depth of experience and knowledge to share that it was easy to navigate the path. We quickly established a path forward with weekly meetings and regular homework! Yes, it’s true! I always left every meeting with homework—whether it was a book to seek out or a website to access, or simply finding time to reflect on the topics we covered.
What would you say helped your relationship grow?
Laura: From the start, we both came to the table with a vision and commitment to the process. From that initial meeting, we formed our path forward and would set up regular meetings to accommodate both of our busy schedules. Setting aside that time and booking other commitments around it was critical to my growth. I made this program one of my top priorities and invested in myself to make it successful.
Jan: We candidly shared our expectations, hopes, and concerns from the beginning, which laid a strong foundation for our mentoring relationship. Laura was always extremely well prepared and keen to make the most out of our interactions, bringing a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and she clearly has a lot of career potential—this made it very easy for me. I focused on asking questions and pointing to books and other resources that helped me along my journey. It’s all about uncovering the right questions—the mentee is usually best placed to provide the answers.
How did you benefit from this successful mentorship relationship?
Laura: I feel like my passion for accounting has been re-energized. I’ve seen the growth in myself and the desire to learn more. To continue to challenge myself to be more proactive in shaping my future and help drive new opportunities in my career.
I’ve made a new professional friend, someone I can reach out to for future advice and guidance as I embark on the next chapter of my career journey.
Jan: As a mentor, I learned a lot along the way—and an improvement in listening skills is always helpful!
Jan and Laura’s journey highlights the dedication, thoughtful effort, and open communication needed to build a truly impactful mentorship relationship. Their success shows that with the right approach, mentorship can lead to powerful growth for both mentor and mentee. Now, it’s your turn—use these insights to start your own mentor-mentee relationship on a strong and purposeful path.
