Mentoring Moments That Surprised Me

There’s something uniquely satisfying about mentorship as a design leader — not just because of the growth you witness in others, but because of the unexpected lessons it teaches you. I’ve learned that mentorship rarely looks like a single big moment. It’s often built through repetition, trust, and helping someone see their value more clearly than they did before. Some of the most meaningful growth I’ve seen didn’t happen overnight — and didn’t follow a playbook.

These three stories stuck with me — not because they were easy, but because they were human, real, and transformational in ways I couldn’t have predicted.

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A sunflower reaches for the sun—symbolizing resilience, growth, and the belief that challenges lead to progress.

1. Helping a Designer Present Like a Rockstar

When one of my designers confided in me about her fear of public I once managed a designer who was terrified of speaking in front of a crowd. I understood that fear — I’d been there myself earlier in my career. My first goal was to help her see her value: she had done the work, run the research, created the designs — she was the expert in the room.

Then we started to build a practice ritual. I shared my method: skip the keyboard, grab a pen and paper, and write out everything you’d want to say for each slide. Read it out loud. Edit it until it sounds like your spoken voice. Do this at least ten times.

When she felt comfortable with the words, I suggested she read her talk to her dog — just to get away from the screen and into a more natural rhythm. Then we’d meet, and she’d present start to finish while I took notes and gave feedback. We’d repeat that process for every presentation.

After a few sessions, I saw her anxiety lessen. Her confidence grew. The next big hurdle was presenting in person — a different kind of pressure. So we practiced that too. We booked a huddle room, and I watched her present live. We talked about the importance of pausing, breathing, sipping water, and allowing space for interaction. I told her it’s okay to trip over your words — being human makes you more approachable.

Eventually, she became one of the strongest presenters on the team. Years later, she reached out when preparing for an in-person portfolio review. She was nervous again. I reminded her of how far she’d come — presenting to senior directors in live settings, confidently walking through her work. She got the job. 

Surprise: Confidence isn’t a switch — it’s a rhythm. And mentorship is about helping someone find theirs.

2. Saving a Senior Designer From the Chopping Block

My manager once asked if I was open to a challenge. A senior designer on another team was struggling — and if I couldn’t turn things around, they’d likely be let go. I agreed to take them on, knowing that trust and structure would be key.

Before he joined, I prepped my team — some were hesitant due to past experiences working with him. I asked them to give him a fresh start.

In our first 1:1, I asked him what hadn’t been working. He shared that on his previous team, he didn’t even know who the other designers were. Red flag — but also an easy fix. He also didn’t recognize where exactly he was struggling, so I laid out clear expectations:

• I needed regular communication, including working hours and heads-up if he’d be offline.

• He needed to meet project deadlines — or speak up early if something was off track.

• He said he was a Figma expert, but had never used a design system. I paired him with teammates who could guide him.

  
  

Then, he missed our next meeting. I texted him, and it took him an hour to reply. When we finally spoke, I found out he didn’t have Slack open or calendar alerts enabled. I was direct but supportive: as a senior designer, you’re expected to stay plugged in. You can pause notifications during focus time — but check your schedule, plan ahead, and communicate.

Over time, things started to shift. He reached out more. He partnered with teammates. I saw friendships form. I placed him on new projects with clean slates and made sure he and I had regular 1:1s. Within three months, I began to trust him to do his job without constant supervision. He was building skills, contributing value, and most importantly — connecting with the team.

Surprise: Growth doesn’t always start with skills — it starts with structure, accountability, and a chance to feel like you matter.

3. Coaching a Designer Through a Tough Manager Relationship

A mid-level designer on my team was struggling. Her project manager had poor communication skills, made unrealistic asks, and often spoke in ways that felt unkind. She wanted to stay on the project — but she also wanted tools to better advocate for herself.

We started with boundaries. I told her: You don’t have to do it all. You’re a great designer — you don’t have to keep proving it. If you can’t take on more work, it’s okay to say so. Your job isn’t at risk for setting limits.

Then we tackled the manager’s unpredictable requests. I suggested she pause, write everything down, and schedule a review meeting for the next day. I’d worked with this manager before — many of his “urgent” requests were never mentioned again. I wanted her to learn how to separate signal from noise — and approach each ask with a clear response, not panic.

As for the emotional toll, I encouraged her to document interactions: what was said, how it made her feel. After a few examples, she felt ready to bring them up directly. At first, the manager apologized. But the behavior returned, and she no longer felt safe. That’s when I recommended she go to HR — with documentation in hand.

Surprise: One of the hardest parts of mentorship is helping someone find their voice — and showing them it’s safe to use it.

Final Thoughts

Mentorship isn’t always big, loud, or obvious. Often, it’s a quiet kind of leadership — a steady presence, a nudge in the right direction, or just someone reminding you, “You’ve got this.” These moments continue to shape the kind of leader I strive to be — and I’m grateful for every single one.