Doran Walker and David B. Kay: Developing their own Playbook for a Strong Mentoring Relationship

Healthcare Change Makers

Our guests David Kay and Doran Walker have had a mentor/mentee relationship since 2018. Doran is an RN with an MBA, owner and Healthcare Consultant for BioMD consulting and a Patient Care Manager for Specialized Geriatrics, Glenrose for Alberta Health Services. He’s also the National Cochair for Emerging Health Leaders Canada.

The fact that they came together well before the pandemic Doran says is fortuitous, since he had someone to turn to when his professional life became more challenging, and he became a new father.

David runs his own healthcare and professional regulatory management consultancy. He says much of what he learned about being a good mentor comes from having strong mentors in the early stages of his career.

One of those was a CEO of a large teaching hospital who shared his insights with David on long drives around Saskatchewan. This CEO would call fellow CEOs after hours to have open and casual conversations, something that imprinted on David the value of compassionate leadership.

David and Doran talked to us about what they’ve learned from each other, what defines a good mentoring relationship, and the fact that we all probably have more mentors than we realize.

Quotables

“This was really another opportunity to give back to the next generation and to the profession” – DK

“I believe goal-setting is important for all of us – both personal goals and professional goal setting. It helps provide some focus.” – DK

“In some of those circumstances that we discussed I hadn’t lived it, but I could draw on something that might have been a little similar or at least this is how people might be feeling about what they’re hearing and ‘the why’. What do we do about the why, what’s the what and the how.” – DK

“Because of the mentorship relationship and our discussion on goals and values, what changed for me was a deeper understanding of who I was and what I needed to value. For that I’m grateful.” – DW

“There’s usually four or five different people who have mentorship within our lives in different ways. I think that’s going to be the next way forward for mentorship research and literature.” DW

“I like to call it a kitchen cabinet. I’ve been fortunate throughout my career of having a network of people around me whose opinions I trusted and who could be honest with me.” – DK

“Mentorship is probably the most direct way that knowledge can be passed on. It also has the added benefit of providing wellness to emerging leaders. Because when they come to stressful situations, they already have someone formally they can talk to about it.” – DW

Mentioned in this Episode:

Emerging Health Leaders Canada

Canadian College of Health Leaders

American College of Healthcare Executives

Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast

Follow us on Twitter, and listen on iTunes.

Email us at [e-mail].