Heat Exchanger Mentoring Pilot – a year in reflection
In the autumn of 2019, a twisted arm or two, well timed District Heating Diva connections and a (large) bucket load of enthusiasm led to the creation of the Heat Exchanger, a pilot mentoring programme for the heat network sector that launched at the Diva’s conference in December 2019.
1 year, 27 matched mentoring pairs and hundreds of hours of mentoring later – what are the reflections of the 2020 Heat Exchanger working group about the last year?
Nicky Butterworth
“Having been lucky enough to have mentor in the civil service and realising that not everyone in the heat networks sector would have that opportunity, I mentioned to Rachael Mills at a Divas meeting that I’d had the spark of an idea to set up a mentoring scheme for the sector. Before I knew it, my idea was tabled, supported and we were launching the scheme at the Divas conference. Thanks so much to Rachael for being the driving force behind the Divas, which in turn provided a platform with the energy and contacts which was key to being able to launch Heat Exchanger (and great work on the name Will).
“After a flurry of activity setting up the website, designing the application process, undertaking the matching and preparing resources, the working group was then hands-off which was slightly disconcerting. So, halfway through the programme we realised we should reach out to find out how things were going. It was lovely to start receiving feedback from participants and hear directly from those that joined a virtual lunch (great idea Lily). It was a relief to find out that most participants valued their mentoring time with overwhelming agreement that the programme should continue, which we are delighted about.
“We decided to pass on the baton to a new working group for 2021, to bring in fresh perspectives and a top up of enthusiasm. It is exciting to think that a group of colleagues from across the sector see the value in the scheme that Lily, Will and I started, and we cannot wait to hear the updates in 2021.”
Will Routh
“There is a lot of talent, self-awareness and energy for personal and professional development in the sector. This should not come as a surprise to anyone involved in heat networks but the level of sign up for the pilot year of Heat Exchanger was big – bigger than we expected at 63 applications. The matching exercise was quite an undertaking, we needed a big table, lots of patience and I’m very thankful for Nicky’s organisational skills and Lily’s enthusiasm in getting us through this process!
“People need encouragement to be a mentor; we had twice as many people ask to be mentored than offering to mentor. Interestingly, very few mentors came forward with 15-20 years plus experience in the sector, a reflection of the rapid growth of the sector over the last 10 years. However, this meant that there were very few mentors available for those that have been in the sector 5-15 years. "
“We had to make some difficult early decisions about the scope of the programme - for example, some people wanted to both mentor and be mentored however due to supply and demand we had to ask them to only be mentor this time around. These are key learning’s that the 2021 Heat Exchanger working group will be taking forward.”
Lily Frencham
“How people connect has changed so much over the course of this year. I know that sounds really obvious, but the scale of the change in terms of what kind of interaction people think is possible or valuable online has really shifted! When we first set up the pilot, nearly all applicants emphasised their preference for being geographically close to their “match” so they could meet in person – which really influenced the matching process. As it transpired, all matches shifted their connections online anyway and it didn’t matter where anyone was based!
“The matching process: so much trickier than anticipated! I had imagined a fun afternoon of matchmaking, accompanied by a warm (and admittedly, smug) feeling of satisfaction knowing we were connecting some true work-soul-mates into meaningful relationships… but it was so hard! We had so much data and so many different options for cross-filtering, plus some practical restraints to factor in. I recommend the next Working Group does it over pizza and beer (and slightly less data)!
“It’s been a blast. Genuinely. Working with Nicky and Will has been great fun, and it’s nice to have a project where you work to deliver something meaningful with people outside your everyday team. The cherry on top has been some of the really lovely feedback we’ve had from participants, who have taken real joy, meaning and growth from being involved – it means so much to have played a part. Thanks to you all for being excellent sports!”