Lennon Training News
We are all meant to mentor
Published 09 Jun 2011
This article contributed by P.Hubner
A vast majority of people have been mentored in one way or another during their working life. Some of us have been fortunate enough to be mentored by what can be termed ‘The Ultimate Mentor’. This is the person who is not afraid to develop people to the point they themselves are surpassed. People rarely improve if they have no other model to compare with but themselves.
Of course multiple mentors in a person’s life will lead to more broader and varied achievement. A lot of people have gone further than they ever thought they could simply because someone else thought they could. And that someone else is often what is commonly referred to as a ‘Mentor’.
Of course there are pitfalls with all programs, and a mentoring program is not without some serious pitfalls. For example, a mentor lacking in expertise and experience to fill the role - remember a mentor is not the same as a coach. A coach is an expert in the field, a mentor does not have to have expertise in the field. Another pitfall is to look at advice from a mentor as a ‘must do’ instruction. It is not. It is a guide, a suggestion that the mentor believes will help you in your endeavors.
If you can identify yourself as a mentor to another person, be it someone in your work crew or a friend from who works in another industry, keep in mind that your patience in discussing things will encourage self-development and your position within that person’s life is to be not taken lightly. They look to you and hope you maintain a high standard of how you approach your work and your life. They could be doing that for someone else and so it goes.