Mentoring

If you’ve ever had a mentor (informal or formal) you know the positive impact a guiding mentor can have. Most people think about mentors in a very traditional way - Yoda to Luke Skywalker – an old, wise and all knowing person who can see things you cannot, provide a wealth of knowledge and understanding, and provide a broader vision and perspective on matters you are struggling with in the present and likely to face in the future. And while this is extremely valuable I want to flip mentoring upside down and challenge some of these traditional views.

I’ve had many mentors over the course of my life, personal and professional. Most fit nicely into the Yoda/Luke format with my mentor playing the part of Yoda and me the young Skywalker. But I’ve also had the privilege of having less traditional mentors who have had equally positive impact on guiding me. The first was a formally established relationship to guide me professionally through some new challenges I was facing. And I can remember him saying in our first meeting “I cannot do anything other than guide you, you must decide whether you want to commit to change and continuous improvement”. He immediately put the monkey on my back. That’s important because I was under the false impression that he would keep me from trouble, guide me around obstacles, and make the path easier. Nope.

The second mentor experience I had was perhaps the most unique. It came about based on my attendance at a conference where one of the breakout sessions was on mentoring. The audience that day was told by the speaker “to find someone at least 10 years your younger, and ask them to mentor you”. Wow, that left the audience in quite a stir. So I took that advice and found someone I liked and enjoyed in the business I was working in and asked if they would be willing to get together informally once or twice a month just to chat about each other’s work challenges and happenings. We typically met over lunch and while our meetings were very informal I always seemed to leave that lunch energized and with some new ideas and approaches to challenges I was facing professionally. Very rewarding!

I just posted a blog about the social networking world that I continue to be blown away by. How advanced, capable and mainstream social networking has become and how important it is to know, understand and participate in these networks. And how valuable it can be as a business tool and how you may just be left behind if you don’t play. Having a mentor at least 10 years your younger will most certainly ensure you know more about what’s new and coming, get perspective and knowledge that will surely help guide you and ensure your future success regardless of the position you hold.

So the next time mentoring comes up remember those two key points. First, your mentor will guide you but you’ll need to do the work to be successful. The mentor (if they are worth their salt) won’t be your crutch. And secondly, consider getting a mentor that is 10 years younger than you. They will have perspective and knowledge on things you will need to know and understand to be successful in the future.

May the force be with you.