Jan

6

Are you being effectively mentored?

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Photo by Aprevit

As leaders we need to be constantly learning and growing, one of the best way’s to grow is by having a few good mentors to guide you on your journey. A mentor is defined in the Wiktionary as "A wise and trusted counselor or teacher". whilst this is a good definition, it only refers to the traits of a mentor, is does not really help one understand what an effective mentor should do. I like to think of a mentor as a guide, someone who can help us make our way successfully on our journey. To help one successfully navigate through life, a guide is a great help as…..

  • …a guide has been there before
  • …a guide has more experience than you
  • …a guide shows you the way
  • … a guide keeps you away from dead-end trials
  • … a guide helps you steer clear of the quicksand

One of the failings of mentor / mentee relationships, is a misunderstanding of what the relationship should look and feel like. This is why this post by David Maister titled, "Are you being mentored?", discussing what we should be getting from our mentors was useful to me. David challenges us by asking, do you currently have someone who:

  • Is reliably, dependably on your side, but is not afraid to critique you?
  • You can rely on to tell you the truth - gently, but nevertheless the truth?
  • Helps you understand how you are perceived, inside your organization and in the marketplace?
  • Helps you extract the right lessons from your disappointments and failures?
  • Keep you from getting carried way with too much enthusiasm about your successes?
  • Watches you and lets you know when you are failing to keep things in balance?
  • Acts as your sounding board for your new ideas before you launch them, so that you can refine them (and sometimes abandon the crazier ones?)
  • Suggests new things for you to consider?
  • Helps you see things from fresh perspectives, and helps you think things through, without substituting their judgment for yours?
  • Helps you understand the politics of the organization you are in or have to work with?

We all need mentors who can challenges us to stretch and grow. Usually leaders need more than one mentor to speak into their lives, as one would typically find one person who can fulfil the list described above, in the various areas of our lives.

  • Do you have a mentor(s) that speaks into your life?
  • Looking at the above list how healthy are is your mentor / mentee relationship?

 

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Comments

3 Responses to “Are you being effectively mentored?”

  1. Julia on January 10th, 2008 3:34 AM

    I agree with the importance of having a guide. I don’t think I’d be as well off if I hadn’t had friends, family and teachers to give me advice.

  2. Justin Driscoll on January 13th, 2008 7:15 AM

    I am so thankful for my first career mentor. At my first job out of college my boss became my mentor. She didn’t ask me if I wanted a mentor and I wasn’t activley seeking one. However, as time went by it became clear that she has much wisdom and advice to share. I tried to take as much of it in as possible. Those three years helped me grow very quickly in the organization and later allowed me to step out into new territory because of the firm foundation my mentor gave me.

    I have mentors in other areas of my life. They also have proved to be extremely helpful in areas like my faith, family, and career.

    Justin Driscoll
    http://www.justindriscoll.net/blog

  3. » Power Effects of an Intern Mentor Justin Driscoll - Education Meets Industry: Career Development Speaker and Author to College Students on January 13th, 2008 7:39 AM

    [...] George Ambler over at The Practice of Leadership has a great post on the value of having a mentor. [...]

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