6 Essential Roles Played by All Great Mentors - JOHN GREATHOUSE Whether youre a mentor yourself or looking for one, here are the essential pillars of the relationship. What does it mean to be a great mentor? Mentorship can be a squishy concept, but it doesnt have to be. Allow me to tell you about my friend Bob Wood. After 28 years as a public-school teacher, Bob reluctantly left the classroom and took the helm of his struggling school. During his 10-year tenure as principal, his team was awarded the National Blue Ribbon by Barbara Bush, a distinction awarded to the top 0.3% of all elementary schools nationwide, and was granted Distinguished School status by the California Department of Education, earning an unprecedented score of 10 out of 10. Here are the six essential mentor roles Bob described: 1. Taskmaster. Quality matters. Quality in every endeavor. Youre only as good as your last interaction. Good interactions are like money in the bank. Mentors challenge you to reject compromise, especially when it would be easier to take the easy path in the short term. An emphasis on quality makes it easier to commit to your goals. 2. Coalescer. Once youre in, youre fully in. Whatever you do, dont waffle. Mentors do not allow you to hedge pivotal decisions. They force you to explore the facts and pursue a definite path. Their unwavering confidence in your abilities fortifies you with the resilience required to not only make bold choices but to see them through to fruition. 3. Provocateur. All mentors have encouraged me to be risky. They certainly didnt get there by not taking chances. The guidance of someone who has walked the path youre currently taking puts seemingly daunting risks into their proper perspective. Your mentors experience will embolden you when assessing the potential outcomes of key decisions. 4. Preceptor. Being knowledgeable, theres just no way you can fake it. Know the business...inside out. You need to have that whole package, or build it by connecting with someone who can assist you in those areas [where youre] weaker. Mentors have gifts in areas you dont. You learn by being with them, walking with them, talking with them, hanging out with them. Great mentors are great teachers. They freely share their knowledge with you and encourage you to become a life-long learner. 5. Sherpa. Approach things with the mind of a beginner, so youre seeing things with fresh eyes. When youre going through changes...its a little bit like being an anthropologist. Youre trying to make sense out of a new situation and you dont have this mindset of parameters that are limiting your thinking and what youre seeing. Assume that you dont have all the answers. A mentor reminds you to wake up when your assumptions cloud your ability to draw insights from new information and experiences. 6. Champion. Mentors can be cheerleaders in times of transition. Someone you can trust and confide in, in this sometimes cold world. Loyalty... its a two-way street. Basic commitment. Im there for you, youre there for me. No ifs, ands, or buts. Healthy mentor relationships are not conditional. Each party respects and appreciates the other, even when one of them makes a mistake.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 10:50:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015