(3 mins read)
It was a sunny afternoon when Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, opened a meeting with the company’s most strategic and thoughtful leaders to discuss the future. At the start, Nadella asked just one question: “What are the emerging technologies that will redefine the way we live and work?”
After he asked the question, a brief silence filled the room. Then, people began to engage in a lively discussion about AI, digital transformation, quantum computing, cloud computing, and more.
One powerful question shaped Microsoft’s future, setting the company on a path of growth for the next decade.
This story is fictional, however, the question is real and has been asked multiple times by Nadella to spark innovative, future-focused thinking.
Too often, mentoring relationships are trapped in the past—focused on what worked yesterday rather than what will work tomorrow. We share past experiences and best practices that may have been effective before, but we can’t be certain they will contribute to success in the future.
While traditional mentoring draws on historical experience, the accelerating pace of change means yesterday’s playbook may no longer apply to tomorrow’s challenges. To truly thrive, we need to reimagine mentoring with a future-focused lens.
How to Approach Future-Focused Mentoring:
- Seek mentors who are active learners, not just experienced veterans. The best mentors identify emerging trends, innovations, and disruptions. Engage in discussions, ask challenging questions, stay curious, and develop a forward-thinking perspective.
- Build a diverse “mentor portfolio” across industries and backgrounds. Ideas, solutions, and strategies from one field can often be applied to challenges in another. Expanding your mentorship circle can provide fresh insights and cross-industry innovation.
- Focus on emerging skills and opportunities rather than rehashing past successes. Instead of asking, “How did you succeed?”, ask, “What skills will be valuable in 3-5 years?” Go beyond addressing current skill gaps—anticipate and prepare for the capabilities that will be crucial in the next decade.
- Engage in “what if” exercises. Explore potential future scenarios and develop contingency plans. This approach helps build resilience and adaptability, preparing mentees for an uncertain and evolving landscape.
- Look for mentors who ask challenging, trust-based, and thought-provoking questions rather than providing ready-made answers. The future belongs to those who can ask the right questions. Identify mentors who are adaptable, curious, and comfortable navigating ambiguity.
- Engage with younger mentors, especially in emerging technologies like AI, digitalization, automation, and breakthrough innovation. Younger professionals with deep expertise in these areas can provide valuable perspectives on the future.
Select your mentors carefully, and don’t hesitate to reach out to those outside your immediate circle. If you believe a particular person could be an ideal mentor, think creatively about how to connect and engage with them.
When choosing mentors for the future, prioritize adaptability over achievement, curiosity over certainty, and possibility thinking over problem-solving.
And remember, the most valuable mentoring relationships today aren’t about transferring old knowledge—they’re about collaboratively creating new knowledge for a rapidly changing world.
Every Day Development 