There’s no such thing as a stupid question

When Mr Ang Sheng Jin sees students shying away from asking questions, he’s reminded of his younger self.

“I was afraid to ask ‘stupid’ questions,” recalled the executive creative director at MullenLowe Singapore. “But there’s really no such thing as a stupid question. Who knows if the questions might open up new learning possibilities?”

Mr Ang encourages his mentees to ask questions, and knowing that he was once in their position makes it easier for them to speak up.

BUILDING A CULTURE OF MENTORING

Having a safe space to ask questions and learn is a large part of what makes mentoring a valuable tool for youth. This is why Mentoring SG is inviting potential mentees, mentors and partner organisations to sign up on its website.

Officially launched at the National Mentoring Summit 2022 on Dec 9, Mentoring SG is a key movement under Forward Singapore, the nation’s collective effort to review and refresh Singapore’s social compact and develop a roadmap for the next decade and beyond.

Mentoring SG aims to build a culture of mentoring in Singapore, and work with corporate partners, professional and mentoring organisations, educational institutions and youth groups to make mentoring more accessible to young people here.

Mr Kelvin Kong, executive director of the Mentoring SG office, said: “While mentoring is so powerful in preparing our future leaders, it is still challenging to connect the right mentor(s) to the right need, at the right time, with the right mindset. Mentoring SG wants to amplify the impact of mentoring in the lives of youth in Singapore by reaching out in a way that effectively resonates with them.”

A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE

More organisations are inculcating mentoring into their corporate culture. For companies such as MullenLowe, this has been formalised into a programme that grooms students, graduates and interns into polished young professionals.

“We believe that mentoring those who have the right mindset, attitude and passion will allow us to identify the right talent for each job role,” said Mr Ang. He added that every mentee is assigned to at least one senior on each project.

With two decades in the advertising industry, he said that he has been fortunate to have been mentored by senior colleagues. “They opened my mind and my world in seeing things beyond advertising. Also, they guided and taught me the basics, techniques and skills needed.”

Mr Ang added that when he was a student, he did not have “the right knowledge and guidance” and it was tough entering the industry. Thankfully, his creative talent allowed him to win student awards, which put him on the radar of advertising agencies. “I knew back then that I needed to give back and help to plan for students in the future.”

Outside of his workplace, Mr Ang has also mentored others, including students from his alma mater, Lasalle College of the Arts.

One of the mentees in the school’s alumni mentoring programme is Mr Claudius Keng, who is now an art director at MullenLowe.

“They’ve taught me almost everything I know about advertising, not just technical skills,” said Mr Keng of Mr Ang and his other mentors at MullenLowe. “Apart from ways to see and think as a creative, I’ve also learned life lessons. Prior to having a mentor, there was a lot more trial and error, relying on information from the Internet.”

While Mr Keng admitted he was never the kind of student who would raise his hand to ask a question in class, the less intimidating nature of a mentor-mentee interaction gave him an invaluable chance to voice his doubts.

Having been in the industry for four years, Mr Keng is now giving back by guiding younger creatives.

“One of my mentors once told me that the effort put in to guide someone will always come back to benefit you,” he said. “We don’t always have the answers. But no matter how little experience we have, you’ll never know how much it means to someone who is just entering the industry.”

THE TWO-WAY STREET OF MENTORING

Mentors often find themselves gaining unexpected insights.

“I’ve been mentoring for quite a number of years, and I’ve seen different trends and learnt new lingo,” said Mr Ang. “It’s definitely more interesting to hire or work with one who is better than myself, so that we can learn something from each other. Personally, I’ve learnt new ways and styles in design, programming and web knowledge.”

Mr Keng agreed. “Mentoring is usually a two-way interaction. A lot can be gained from the unique perspective and experiences that juniors bring to the table. Their energy and excitement for the job is also extremely contagious and motivating.”

Mr Ang advises mentors to be willing to guide and share knowledge, while remaining open to new learning opportunities.

“The worst kind of mentor is one who thinks that he or she is greater and better than anyone. Everyone learns something, every day,” he pointed out. “You never know how much you will learn when you start mentoring others.”

Find out more about mentoring and available resources to kickstart your mentoring journey as a mentor or mentee at mentoring.sg.