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Celebrate National Mentoring Month
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| In this issue we celebrate National Mentoring Month by offering some concrete suggestions for celebrating mentoring and making mentoring resolutions for 2016. |
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Celebrations infuse life with passion and purpose. They summon the human purpose. They attach us to our human roots and help us soar toward new visions. They touch our hearts and fire our imaginations.
Deal and Key
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At this time every year individuals and organizations around the country celebrate National Mentoring Month. And, with good reason. Mentoring is something to celebrate. It is one of the most important relationships you will ever make. It is a proven way to enhance your growth and development, whether you are a mentor or a mentee.
What does mentoring mean to you? How are you going to celebrate?  We've got some suggestions!
If you are a mentor, Make time to reflect on your mentee's progress. Now is a good time to C.E.L.E.B.R.A.T.E. the small wins and to share what you've learned from your mentee. (See The Mentor's Guide) |
Collaborate on the planning.
Rather than planning celebrations for your mentee, engage her in the planning process. This will heighten the sense of individual contribution and further foster the sense of partnership that permeated your relationship.
Elevate and expand knowledge.
Use celebration as a vehicle to continue to educate about the past, present and future of the organization and use that as a context for growth.
Leverage Leadership.
The opportunity to leverage and maximize learning is the very essence of a mentoring relationship. By sharing your own development stories with your mentee you can raise the bar.
Expand your thinking when considering how to celebrate.
Think outside the box. There are many ways to celebrate other than by going out to dinner or lunch. Look for permanent mementos or meaningful ways to remember the partnership.
Brag about accomplishments.
Boast about milestones. Be in the moment. Look for small ways and everyday ways to create a shared sense of progress and purpose with your protégé. Celebrate the triumphs and big wins triumphantly and with big celebrations.
Rekindle memory.
Revisit the journey. If you don't have a sense of where you come from going backward looks like progress. You may find that it will reawaken your own sense of purpose and keep the focus on learning.
Appreciate.
Honor achievement. Let your mentee know you appreciate him. Tell your protégé that he matters and why, but be honest about it when you do.
Talk about transitions before they happen.
Be proactive. Celebration is an opportunity to create self-awareness. Educate for change and prepare for next steps.
Espouse the vision.
Articulating personal (and organizational) vision harnesses energy and engages the spirit. Linkages are leverage for learning. Create consistent thought and action by helping your mentee keep the vision out front.
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If you are a mentee, remember that sincere expression of your appreciation is one of the greatest gifts you can give a mentor.
- Think about what you want to say in advance.
- Be specific and share concrete examples of wisdom you've gleaned from your mentor.
- Relate how you are applying what you are learning and what you are doing differently because of their influence.
- Touch base with mentors who have been there for you in the past.
- Let them know you are thinking of them and tell them how their influence has contributed to your success.
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If your organization has one or more mentoring programs, make sure to schedule a meaningful celebration day.
- Talk about the history of mentoring in your organization.
- Share success stories.
- Talk about the return on your mentoring investment.
- Invite mentoring pairs to publicly share their experiences.
- Create an infographic to showcase your results.
- Hold a mentoring rewards and recognition luncheon.
- Schedule a virtual presentation on mentoring and make it available throughout your company.
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Make 2016 Mentoring Resolutions
Although 2016 has already arrived, it is not too late to ring in the new year with some new mentoring resolutions. Resolve to be a better mentor or mentee a year from now by: - Scheduling preparation time before your mentoring sessions.
- Setting aside 15 minutes following mentoring meetings to summarize key insights and action items.
- Challenging yourself to stretch your thinking
- Moving out of your comfort zone.
- Holding monthly accountability conversations with your mentoring partner
- Checking frequently to determine if mentoring goals are still relevant and you are making progress.
- Asking your mentoring partner for feedback.
- Setting three self-improvement mentoring goals for yourself.
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