The Magic of Mentoring
In the name of advancing HI (Human Intelligence), mentoring is more important now than ever. In this crazy time, we need someone who “gets” us, and can point the way forward. A mentor, by definition, is an experienced and trusted advisor. A mentor gives us encouragement, support, and guidance to help us navigate our careers, professional development and personal lives. The mentor gets even more out of the process than the mentee, because we don’t really learn something until we teach it.
As companies scramble to find ways to develop their workforce, mentoring is becoming a must-have in the war for talent. The best managers understand their most important roles are coaching and mentoring employees.
We entrepreneurs need a role model, a goal model and a sounding board. We learn from someone who has been there and done that. Mentors can shorten your time in the school of hard knocks.
So what do you look for in a mentor?
Here’s a start: Look for someone who IS who you want to be, or DOES what you want to do, or HAS what you want to have. Maybe all three. Make sure your mentor shares your values, and has similar views on your business, so they can be your cheerleader.
What are some roles of a mentor?
1. Gives support—they “get” you.
2. Offers a listening ear.
3. Can be a sounding board for your goals—a role model and a goal model.
4. Can challenge you, stretch you, and “jump start” you, when the going gets rough.
And if you stay around long enough, what goes around comes around. In 1989, just five years after I left Human Resources to go out on my own, I was President of the Los Angeles Chapter of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners). We partnered with UCLA Anderson School for a mentorship program. It was the first year that women slightly outnumbered men in the Entrepreneurial Studies program for their Masters degree. We matched up. I was the mentor. One memorable day, we went shopping for appropriate interview clothes! We became lifelong friends. Fast forward—years later—she was in charge of selecting a speaker for her company’s women’s conference. So guess who she hired? Yes, me! What goes around comes around. Now, she’s mentoring others. And so on and so on and so on. . .
I mentor young women in the NextGen program in NAWBO.
Here’s my question: Can AI do that? Not yet.
I always say, “Your audience will not be more excited about (or moved by) your speech than you are.”
If you want help with this, please call me for a 30-minute complimentary clarity call. You get clarity and value, and we discover if we are a match to work together.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Vector Image by pch.vector