This article was written by Krystal Morley, Group Lead, Ontario Public Service.

  • The problem: People wait for mentors or any support, in general, to fall into their laps by chance.
  • Why it matters: We should all intentionally surround ourselves with mentors, sponsors, coaches and advocates.
  • The solution: We must seek out growth opportunities, learn to capture these experiences through journalling to reflect and build upon them and then give back by being a support on someone else’s development journey.

Too often we are waiting for a professional (or personal) mentor or support system to drop into our laps. We believe that if we cannot find it within our immediate teams and divisions that there is no hope for us to receive the mentorship and support we desire. I want to shift the perspective to one where our professional resiliency is not an individual burden, but rather a community effort. We must simply be intentional about finding these support villages and placing ourselves in them.

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We deserve to grow professionally and personally — we were never meant to do it alone. We simply can no longer leave it to chance. Our goal should be to empower each person to intentionally seek out growth opportunities and communities and place ourselves in them. Then we should journal our experiences to ensure we are capturing the lessons we learn to build upon and truly grow from them. Finally, we should each give back by being a support for someone else. This, I believe, will help us all to thrive and flourish. You can create your very own multifaceted growth journey filled with reciprocal learning and positive karmic support energy. The intentional receipt and provision of mentorship and support can ensure that we all break through the ceiling of simply surviving in our professional careers to thriving and flourishing in them.

How to begin a growth journey

The first step is to decide that you deserve professional growth through mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy and support because you are worthy of it. Shifting our perspective on how to get these things comes next. We must become intentional about seeking out these opportunities and communities that can afford us these experiences. Consider applying for mentorship or sponsorship programmes. Identify people who can be mentors or groups that could be supportive communities. Be okay with looking outside of your immediate teams and areas. Working in larger organisations such as in the public service can allow you to find a wide variety of positive programmes and communities outside of your day-to-day work. Being connected to support systems that may not be primarily influenced by internal aspects of your immediate programme area such as deadlines, current climate and culture or team dynamics is enriching. Having an external perspective allows for the sole focus to be you and your growth. So, look through your organisation’s online portals often, review message boards, read company/ministry-wide informational emails and join other company-wide internal networks to give you access to more shared information.


Your growth will not only come from others guiding you but from you also taking the time to help others. There is wisdom to be gained in it all.


Since joining the Ontario Public Service I have taken immense pleasure in perusing the organisation’s internal network and finding opportunities such as the Diversity Career Champion programme (of which I am in my third programme cycle and matched to a third mentor — it works so I keep signing up!). This programme not only led to me being matched with my very first professional mentor, to whom I am forever grateful (K. Hill), but it also led to me being introduced to and joining networks like Tomorrow’s OPS (TOPS). I have also found other initiatives like Diversity Sponsorship and TOPS Career Coaching, to name just a few.

Treat each experience as a piece of your own puzzle

Needless to say, once I became intentional about seeking out these opportunities, I was able to find and take advantage of several of them. Be open to each professional growth experience — be it mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy or a general support community — and know that no one opportunity will fulfil all of your growth needs, but it will be a culmination of them over time. Be consistent because growth should never stop. Some connections or experiences may have longevity and last for some time, while others may be short-term (such as a 6-week mentorship programme).

Consider looking outside of your organisation. Is there a programme or a person that you have been introduced to or have been following through a friend, LinkedIn or another organisation that you are a part of, etc? If the answer is yes, consider signing up for the external programme or reaching out to the individual. Be bold because every experience may not be in the form of some pre-established 6-week programme. You may have come across someone professionally who you believe could impart some valuable knowledge or insight to you. You may have to reach out and ask for a 15-minute virtual coffee chat that can offer you a short and impactful experience. Or you could shoot your shot and ask for six 30-minute mentorship sessions over the next six months that will provide a more long-term connection. Treat each one like a valuable piece to your puzzle and continue to seek out and acquire more pieces**.** Remember, this is not just some networking plan. This is a growth journey, where each aspect will provide you with some unique and powerful piece of knowledge and wisdom. It will solidify your perspectives, identify your strengths, highlight areas for improvement, grant you insightful tips and tricks you may have otherwise never learnt, unlock levels, sharpen your skills, engage your passions and interests with your professional work and empower you to unlock levels of your greatness you are worthy of discovering.

Finally, do not forget to capture each experience through journaling. So many powerful pieces of wisdom slip through our fingers as fleeting moments in time, racing away from us with busy lives. And while we are here, let’s debunk the myth that time flies only when you are having fun. It simply flies and the mind should not be responsible for holding onto, organising and keeping track of it all. Let’s face it, like the devices we build or drives we create, space is limited. So do not risk missing or losing the invaluable pearls and gems you gain from each experience. As you capture your experiences, you can reflect on them more deeply over time, build upon them and impart them to others along the way. Yes, that is correct, your growth will not only come from others guiding you but from you also taking the time to help others. There is wisdom to be gained in it all.

Start today

From my personal experiences, I learnt that I needed to shift my perspective on personal growth and resiliency. A mentor or sponsorship may not always naturally appear. I realised that I needed and deserved support, but that I had to be intentional about seeking out the opportunities and support systems. You should too!

Check out this STAR Journal from Amazon to help you document your professional growth journey.

Done reading? Make sure to share some of the strategies you have found to be effective in actively seeking mentorship or support networks within your organisation by leaving a comment below ⬇️

(Image credit: Unsplash)