Mentors

Mentoring ensures individuals acquire new skills by working alongside those who have more experience. For centuries, tradespeople have valued structured mentoring, in the form of apprenticeship. Up-and-coming athletes improve by training hard with mentors or coaches. In labs, researchers take less experienced, but curious individuals under their wing. Doctors work as interns under the watchful eyes of physicians and nurses with years under their collective belts.

I can attest that identifying a mentor and fostering a relationship with that person will benefit you in all sorts of ways.

How can you spot someone who has the making of a mentor? Seek out those who:

·          encourage growth and learning;

·          show leadership by example, even when they aren’t in formal management roles;

·          share their knowledge at any point, not just when you need it most;

·          guide, test and support you;

·          listen, but don’t coddle;

·          are perceptive; and,

·          nudge you when you’re due to stretch beyond your comfort zone.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that mentorship is only applicable for the young. Today, people embrace reverse-mentoring, which usually involves a millennial teaching a Gen X or a Boomer how to use new technologies. Those same technological advances can also let you reach mentors who live or work far away from you.

I cannot say enough about the formal and informal mentors in my career. By setting the bar high and prodding me from time to time, they’ve challenged me to further develop technical and interpersonal skills.  

Long after our paths crossed, my mentors continue to play a role in who I am, what I do and who I strive to become. My work ethic and my personal expectations stem from those examples set by my early mentors.

Replace the word “leader” with “mentor” in the Dolly Parton quote below and the country legend sums up mentorship perfectly for me.  

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more,

do more and become more, you are an excellent leader.”

That's exactly what my mentors have done and continue to do. They are nothing short of   

      AWESOME!

If a mentor has influenced you, then I urge you to pay it forward and look for individuals who you can help.
 
P.S. There’s no need for you to wait until your résumé is crammed with experience. Simply assess the areas in which you excel; chances are someone would welcome a hand in that area. Go ahead, play a part in shaping someone else's future.