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Women in Leadership Foundation is pleased to introduce you to Jacqueline McNabb-Neher (she/her) who is one of our valued mentors in our Mentorship Program.
What motivated you to become a mentor in the Women in Leadership Mentorship Program? Having spent most of my career in a male-dominated industry I found that there were very few women that I could reach out to for mentoring or support. I was able to cultivate a few relationships which have helped me grow in my career. I now feel that I am in a position to help other women who are taking roles in these industries who are looking for support or help navigating the industry. Providing mentorship to other women helps me to grow as well and become a better person and leader in my own career.
How do you approach building a strong mentor-mentee relationship? Are there any specific strategies or techniques you find effective?
I believe that strong relationships are built through openness and honesty. I am an extremely open book. I feel that by being vulnerable and sharing my stories with the mentee, helps them to open up and be vulnerable with me. Once you’ve established trust between each other then you can move forward with discussions about goals, where are they struggling, what’s holding them back, and identify what resources are out there for them.
What do you consider to be the most rewarding aspect of being a mentor?
Often when having discussions with my mentee, I revisit some of my past career experiences as well as the important lessons learned along the way. This makes me appreciate where I’ve ended up in my career and what it took to get here. The discussions with my mentees are absolutely energizing. I walk away from the conversations feeling incredibly optimistic about their future and my own as well.
Have there been any valuable lessons or insights you've gained through your mentorship journey? If so, could you share one or two that have had a significant impact on you?
For me, success is helping others to discover more within themselves, and less about the big discussions or the big goals or the big wins. I find tremendous satisfaction in coaching them through having a hard conversation or getting a step further in a project than anticipated. It’s all about how you feel after you walk away from your mentoring session – it should always be a great feeling for both the mentor and mentee.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering becoming a mentor in the Women in Leadership Mentorship Program?
I recommend that they jump right in. It is a truly rewarding and positive experience. The time and effort that you will be putting into the program is worth it and becomes quite effortless when you have a great connection with your mentee.
About Jacqueline McNabb-Neher:
Jackie started her career in 2003, working in safety and completing truck and trailer drawings at NCSG Trans Tech, a specialized heavy haul transportation company. She worked at various positions throughout the company until 2014, when she became the Contracts Manager. In 2015 she started with Sarens Canada as the Transportation and Estimating Coordinator. With the economy taking a turn, in 2016 she ventured into Real Estate, eventually becoming the top selling Realtor in January of 2018 for her brokerage. Later in 2018 she returned to the transportation industry starting as Business Development and has now advanced to the Operations Manager at T-Lane Transportation.
Jackie graduated from the NAIT Architectural Technology Program with Honors Distinction in 2002 and is certified in Project Management through MacEwan University. She is currently obtaining her Level 2 Diploma as a Certified Professional Coach through Erickson Coaching International.
Jackie has been involved in past United Way Campaigns at NCSG, and volunteered with a local charity for homeless youth in Stony Plain, AB. She is currently volunteering as a Mentor with the Women in Leadership Foundation.
Jackie is an advocate for women in the transportation industry. Her goal is to leverage her passion, her project management skills, and experience in industry help other women overcome employment barriers. Jackie looks forward to working mentoring and coaching more women to help the achieve their full potential.