Mentoring is not a new concept. It has been present and actively used since ancient Greece. The traditional view of mentorship is an older, more experienced person assisting and teaching a younger, less experienced individual to encourage growth and sound development of skills. Mentorship is currently being applied specifically to careers by many individuals and organizations.
Mentorship Within Your Career
Today’s business world has been accepting the importance of mentoring within organizations. Mentoring has proven to be a successful training alternative and a beneficial way to increase the skills of the staff. Benjamin Franklin once said, “tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” The corporate environment is seeking to be involved.
“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone . . . and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something. “
—Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
O’Connor acknowledged we are actively learning from other individuals and are constantly influenced by leaders, executives, our peers, etc. Once we realize this, we can actively choose what type of mentoring we receive, as well as what kind of mentor we become to others.
The Effects of Mentorship
Who you choose as your mentor will directly influence the effects. In her book Coaching, Mentoring, and Managing, author Micki Holiday writes, “Mentoring lets employees soak up character, judgment, and approach.” The point of the mentoring relationship is to actively learn and apply what we are being taught.
Training just teaches you a concept, but mentors put that concept into action in real time. They show you how to put what you have been taught into action. They make mistakes and recover, and by watching and learning, you are able to soak in everything they do. The goal of mentoring is learning through another’s actions.
Whose actions are you learning from? Have you acknowledged the influence of others in your life within your career? Think about what you look for in a mentor and what kind of mentor you would be.
“The best way a mentor can prepare another leader is to expose him or her to other great people.”
—John C. Maxwell
A great mentorship relationship can help shape your career and give you the skills you need for success. Who is your mentor?
Healthcare leaders: are you looking for a mentor in your career? Check out the new virtual mentorship platform, AmericasHealthcareLeaders.com!
People learn from others in all kinds of formats. Yours is an excellent example of mentoring, my friend. Thanks for sharing the things that you do and believe.