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Women in Leadership Foundation is pleased to introduce you to Roni Jackow (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?
Mentorship is something I have always found to be one of the most rewarding in my career – both as mentor and mentee.
How do you approach building a strong mentor-mentee relationship? Are there any specific strategies or techniques you find effective?
First and foremost, it’s important to listen to your mentee with respect to their career goals (long and short term), what they want, and key into their particular style and personality. It’s critical that you not impose your own style and goal-setting onto them, but rather serve as a lead to help them identify the carrots and sticks that will get them to where they ultimately want to do, as well as serve as a good outside voice to help them gauge what’s happening in their own world.
What do you consider to be the most rewarding aspect of being a mentor?
Helping my mentees see their big picture and partner with them to plot a map to where they want to go. I love seeing results over time as they either move towards where they wanted to go originally, or discover they want to navigate a different path than originally thought.
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?
Asking your mentee the right questions can lead them to their own correct answers. Invite conversation, don’t dictate. And remember that although work life and personal life are supposed to be separated by a fence, everything is ultimately personal – how you show up at work and at home are influenced heavily by what’s happening on the other side of the fence. As a mentor, it’s helpful to get those insights on both sides of the fence so you’re not trying to help your mentee in a vacuum.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering becoming a mentor in the Women in Leadership Mentorship Program?
Listening is key and figuring out ways to give good, realistic feedback is necessary for your mentee to really see what you see in their current circumstances (and where they’re trying to go).
About Roni Jacknow
Roni Jacknow is the senior director, Office of Talent Development, at Kaiser Permanente, a $93 billion healthcare business. In her role at one of the largest integrated healthcare institutions in the world, with more than 88,000 physicians and nurses to provide care to 12.6 million members, Roni is responsible for employee and leadership development and equity, inclusion and diversity for the Finance and Enterprise Business Services organizations.
Roni is a super-connector and transformative leader dedicated to cultivating a culture rich in learning, gratitude and belonging. She is also an enthusiastic advocate for employee wellbeing. She has launched innovative and best-in-class learning and development offerings and programs to enable all employees to reach their full potential. Roni leads the first of its kind Women in Leadership and Gender Allyship Programs at Kaiser Permanente. She has served as executive sponsor to the WE@KP women’s business resource group and serves on the KP Leadership University steering committee. Roni has facilitated and sponsored the company-wide implementation of Belong@KP to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and is a certified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace facilitator. She serves as a Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Advocate and is a Culture of Health Champion Manager.
Roni is a certified leadership and executive coach through New Ventures West, Linkage, and the International Coaching Federation. She is certified to facilitate Mindfulness in the Workplace offerings, Linkage AWL program,Multipliers workshops, Coaching Circles and Appreciation in the Workplace trainings. She is also a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and a long-time practitioner.
Roni serves as a mentor for the Women in Leadership Foundation and as an advisor to the California State University Executive Education Women in Leadership program.
Prior to Kaiser Permanente, Roni served in a variety of finance and business leadership and executive roles at Charles Schwab and Chevron. Roni thrives by practicing yoga, running, cycling, swimming, walking her two rescue pups and spending time with her husband, two daughters and new son-in-law.
Registration for the 2024 Women in Leadership Mentorship Program will be opening in Fall 2023. For more information, you can read more here.