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Investing In Others
As A Mentor
Are you ready, willing and able to mentor others? Are you emotionally and psychologically prepared to invest time and effort in helping another person? Do you have the time, skills and freedom to devote yourself to another person? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, and you are ready to make a commitment, you may be ready to begin mentoring others.
To mentor is to change a life, if only in small ways. It can be applied to a  variety of people, situations and purposes. Mentoring can range from an impromptu, off-the-cuff intervention, to an intense long-term relationship.
More and more businesses and government organizations use mentoring as a tool for organizational growth and development, not just for career development. Mentoring is quickly becoming a valuable tool in preparing an organization for competitive challenges and succession planning.
However, be aware that taking on a formal mentoring assignment may mean occasional inconveniences and less time for other duties.
And, mentoring that causes you significant stress or loss in other areas of your life, should be weighed carefully before you make a commitment. Yet, if you are ready, the personal satisfaction may be well worth your time and effort.
If you have never been a mentor before but feel you are in a unique position and ready to become one, seek out people and resources to help you prepare for your new role. As a mentor, you should be adding value to a person, enriching their quality of life and, expanding their life purpose and capabilities. As a mentor, you need to believe in the value of your work without worrying about returned favors. If you have, or can develop, a freely giving nature, you will likely mentor all through your life - probably without thinking much about it.
~ Copyright protected worldwide. Cherie Guilford, CMR Services Group, Inc.� www.CMRServicesGroup.com
"One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency."
~Arnold Glasow
What Is A Mentor?
According to Greek legend, the goddess Athena liked to come down to earth disguised as a man named "Mentor" so she could advise the young son of Ulysses. (The Greek root "men" means remembering, thinking or counseling; we still use it in words like "mental.") Today, a mentor is an experienced and trusted counselor, anyone who guides and encourages another, especially someone younger.
Mentors come in all shapes and sizes, formal and informal. Usually your  mentor is someone who takes a personal interest in your progress, seeing your potential and regarding you as just a bit more capable and talented than you think you are. Not too much more, or you'll dismiss their opinion as unrealistic. Not any less, or you'll have nothing to strive toward.
In my own life, I've had many excellent mentors - wise bosses who guided me and exciting clients who encouraged and inspired me to be the best I could be. We all have mentors who don't know they are our mentors. They are all around us as we watch and learn from what they do and say. Many people have told me I had been their mentor the first time we met.
Good mentors are the people who put the gas in your tank and give you a road map to where you want to go.
Source: Patricia Fripp, [email protected], 1-800-634-3035, www.fripp.com
"A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could."
~ Unknown |
Exceptional Leaders...
Don't Rest On Their Laurels
In today's fast paced business world, the expression "what have you done for me lately?" is even more of an imperative. Leaders have high expectations of employees and organizations have high expectations of leaders.
It is fine to take pride in past accomplishments. This does not mean however, that it is a reason for current entitlement. Leaders must produce in the present and focus on the future, not past glories.
Even in retirement, high profile executives, such as Lee Iacocca and Jack Welsh, are still in the game of writing best selling books and consulting rather than focusing on the past.
Thought Provoker
- To what degree do you focus on past glories?
- Is there anyone in your organization who is "resting on their laurels"?
 - Do current stakeholders, including your boss, really care about what you accomplished 5 years ago or 20 years ago?
- Are you keeping up with current trends, new technology and ways of thinking?
- Do you criticize others because that is not the way it was done in the past?
- What adjustments do you need to make for you to continue to be a highly valued asset to your organization?
Exceptional Leaders take satisfaction from their past accomplishments and keep in the game creating value for the present and the future.
~ Copyright protected by author Bruce M. Anderson. Reprinted with permission. Thinking Partners Inc. |
All articles, quotes, and material in this newsletter are copyrighted. � 2011. No part can be reproduced in any form without specific written consent from SA and copyright holder(s). All rights reserved worldwide. |
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Patrice Manuel, CEO/Senior Principal |
To Think. To Plan.
To Win.
P/Strada
4033 Central Street
Kansas City, MO 64111
Telephone: 816.256.4577
Email: [email protected]
For more information, go to www.pstrada.com |
Business Thoughts
Did you know that through traditional hiring techniques there is only 14% likelihood that the hire will be successful?
Research shows approximately 80% of turnover is caused by bad decisions made during the hiring process.
You might have found the best talent but this employee will only dramatically increase your success if placed in the right job.
Have you interviewed and assessed someone who would be a great fit with the company but doesn't fit the open position? Develop a master list of potential employees for when an appropriate position is available.
An organization without accountability will cease to exist. If a business sells a product but doesn't hold itself accountable for quality production, or timely shipping, it won't attract any consumers.
Accountability has a chain reaction. If one person within an organization doesn't hold himself/herself accountable or are not held accountable, it can lower the accountability of the entire organization. | |
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