Not a crap industry…

THE INAUGURAL Visku Mentoring Programme Event kicked off with a discussion panel placing the programme firmly in the context of the industry’s efforts to secure and nurture the best talent for leadership roles. Mentor Sarah Booth, also logistics director at 3PL Martin Brower, explains: “We have started to look outside the sector for talent, we want leadership, people that are driven and motivated and can lead a team, that can understand P&L – you can do that in any industry.

“You don’t need prior knowledge of trucks and sheds. Trucks and sheds are processes, what we want is talent. I’ve heard many managers described as ‘a really good transport operator, they know trucks so well, they’re just not good with people’.

“I’m like, what are you talking about? They’re responsible for 150 drivers. We’ve got to grab people who can motivate, lead and drive change. We’re not interested in people who say ‘this is way it’s always been done, because that’s logistics’.”

Shaping talent becomes then as important as attracting it into the industry in the first place, and this is where the Visku Mentoring Programme can help play a role. The wisdom of an experienced mentor can help managers problem solve. Fellow mentor Dan Culverhouse, consultant at Beyond Darwin, takes up the point.

“I remember when I was a project manager at Tesco, and finding myself making bigger and bigger decisions, I was lucky to have Jonathan Pluck as a mentor for a number of years.

“He never answered the question you were asking him. He replayed what you had said back to you in such a way that the answer became very clear. As I reflect on this now, I find it a wonderful way of seeing things from another perspective.”

Stuart Tosh, chief operating officer at Visku and the main driver behind the Visku Mentoring Programme, summarises the importance of mentors listening and not succumbing to the temptation to jump in with answers when working with a mentee. It’s more important to guide the conversation and give the mentee the space and prompts to develop their own answers to the problem. The programme is about producing leaders that can think for themselves, not creating clones. In addition, there is a big difference between mentoring and coaching. It is advised that a mentee should have different people for mentor and line manager.

Visku launched the free cross-company Mentoring Programme to connect experienced professionals with younger people to help them develop their careers. The link ups between mentors and mentees are driven by the Visku platform, with participants including professionals from brands such as John Lewis, Matalan, Castore, and Urban Outfitters. There is no cost or membership requirement and no barriers to entry. It’s open to all levels of staff in logistics, warehousing, transport, operations, or manufacturing.

Reverse mentoring

A key part of the scheme is reverse mentoring, a process where a less senior employee provides guidance, shares insights, and mentors a more senior colleague.

Sarah Booth gives an example. “We were working on deliveries into central London from our Hemel Hempstead DC and everyone was moaning about the restrictions of the London Lorry Control Scheme.

“One of our graduates asked – ‘why aren’t we lobbying?’ So we reached out to Logistics UK and we’ve hosted sessions with other providers, and we are working with the Mayor of London to see how we can adapt the scheme. It’s all because a graduate didn’t go with flow and asked the question.”

Stuart Tosh added that he learned a lot from mums returning to work after maternity leave. “We often had a situation where a mum, sometimes a single Mum, without a support network, was just expected to get back into work. But a logistics company moves on a lot in 12 months, and we tend to forget that. So, it’s important to actually teach people what has changed, letting them come in on a softer landing, as well as being considerate around time off for the Christmas play and so on.”

Dan Culverhouse also raised the utility of the mentor relationship for floating leftfield ideas.

“It’s a great space to test something. It can be difficult to voice a potentially unpopular idea in a corporate, high-stakes environment, but when you’re in a mentoring relationship, it’s such a fantastic place to test an argument, and test how you’re going to express it.”

Mentee perspective

An important aspect of the evening was hearing from mentees in the programme.

Visku Mentoring Programme mentee Olivia Pollard, says: “Becoming a mentee has felt like more than just a learning opportunity, it has been genuinely enjoyable and incredibly refreshing. I’ve gained new perspectives, valuable insights and a renewed sense of enthusiasm for my goals.”

She adds: “One valuable thing is you realise your experiences aren’t that unique. Everyone starts somewhere. I’m lucky, working at Visku, in that I get to spend a lot of time with those at the top. I’ve learned to be confident and trust what I’ve thought.”

Another mentee on the panel, Jade Bosman, space planning & capacity manager UK & IE, at Martin Brower, recently arrived in the logistics sector.

“I came to logistics in December from a completely different industry with no experience. So, it was a bit of a ballsy move but I thought, I’m going to give it a go. My mentor told me recently that women often don’t take risks as much as men do. We need more confidence to apply for roles.

“I was also told early on in my career to quiet down and be less opinionated. That has helped me because it made me realise where I don’t want to be.

“You also don’t want a mentor who just tells you ‘you’re doing great’ all the time. You need honesty, but you also need a mentor that will help you be the best version of yourself.”

Not a crap industry

Returning to the imperative to secure the best talent, Sarah Booth recently took on a role as a school governor.

“I have heard teachers say to kids, ‘if you don’t work hard, you’ll end up working in a warehouse’.

“I was absolutely incensed. Why is that bad? My father worked in a warehouse, ending up as an ops manager with Gist, earned good money. It’s not a crap industry. It’s not a dead end job. We want the talent so we can take the industry forward. That’s the key thing for me. And we need be serious about nurturing that talent.”

Hence the importance of the Visku Mentoring Programme.

To sign up as a mentor or mentee, or to find out more, visit: www.visku.com/mentoring-programme