Mentoring

Apparently, I am older and wiser. I have had a tremendous amount of experiences in my life and have had more than one successful career. There is knowledge in those experiences that should be passed along. But since I work for myself, there is no "mentoring program" in my office for individuals who are new to my industry or new in their career. Mentoring in the traditional sense, isn't built into my work environment. It should be.

I am reminded, on occassion, that the younger or less experienced consultants, watch what I do and how I do it. They make decisions on what is appropriate and what is not appropriate based on my actions - even the little things. Whether I actively engage in mentoring or not, my actions are a form of teaching. This is a scary thought. It means that I must consistently meet or exceed my standards. If I don't, someone is watching and someone will think that cutting a corner is acceptable.

With that said then, passive mentoring does not meet my standard. I interact with younger or lesser experienced people quite often. Numerous opportunities to mentor exist. One or two more comments on the "why" of what I am doing is a mentoring opportunity. One or two more sentences explaining the big picture is a mentoring opportunity. Taking someone to lunch and asking them about their career, what they want, and where they are going is a mentoring opportunity.

We all have experiences and wisdom to pass along. And, while our company may not have an organized mentoring program, we can still mentor. I have added mentoring as a focus in my career. I would encourage everyone to do the same. Take some time to think about the people you interact with and how you can help them, even subtly, move forward in their careers. Pass along your wisdom and your experiences. These are rich gifts that we should share.