Mentoring

 

I was talking with my friend when mentoring program at his company came up.  I said, “I have never seen a mentoring program that actually works.” Most of them require everyone to be a mentor, and the truth is, not everyone is cut out to be one.  My friend then asked me, “What were some of the characteristics of your best mentors?”

My mentors were usually good at their job.  More importantly, they took great pleasure in helping people grow.  They seemed to remember what it was like to be new at the job and were extremely helpful in navigating the sometimes-difficult terrain.

On reflection, I realized that my mentors never really gave me advice, even when I asked them directly.  Instead, they would ask me questions that forced me to think about situations from different perspectives.  What made this tactic powerful is that they left the decision-making process to me.  They just guided me down the path and provided me with the framework to solve future problems.

I think the best mentor-mentee relationships evolve into partnerships.  After a while, you no longer know who is the mentor and who is the mentee.  You just have two people helping each other grow into their best selves.

I often felt lucky that I had such good mentors.  Now, however, I realize that it was not luck.  Great mentors are the type of people who just have a way of finding those in need.  These people sensed that I needed some guidance, and they were there to help me.

When we finished our conversation, my friend said to me, “I do not think I am going to start a mentoring program.  Instead, I will just let it happen organically.”