Do You Have a Mentor?
Something very strange is going on where I work. Apparently, everyone in management has been given an assignment to pick an employee to be their men-tee. Mentors are great, and I really believe that. They can serve a great purpose in answering questions, providing motivation, and giving that extra needed push to rise to the next level of accomplishment. However, I’m not sure how I feel about someone being my mentor as part of an assignment. I know there are mentoring programs elsewhere as well, but how effective are they? I believe for the mentor / men-tee relationship to work, the men-tee has to know that the mentor really cares about them and truly believes in their potential. If my “mentor” is there to complete some six-week assignment (complete with a small paper booklet), am I being taken under their wing because they see my potential? Hypothetically, what if the men-tee actually felt more qualified than the mentor? This situation got me thinking about real mentors.
A Mentor’s Worth
A few times in my life, I’ve had someone see potential in me, and give me advice on a continual basis. I considered these people mentors. I believe a true mentor:
- sees potential
- takes a personal interest
- advises and motivates the men-tee
- celebrates the men-tee’s success
My perception is that being a mentor for an assignment takes away the purity of the relationship. Especially when the mentor has a company guide to follow and blanks to fill out about our conversations. Perhaps I’m being too idealistic and/or negative. Do you have a mentor? Could you see a mentor being beneficial to you if the mentor was directed to “help” you? What do you think a real mentor provides?
“What if I feel I’m actually more qualified than my mentor?”
…hope your mentor doesn’t read his men-tee’s blog.
Chuck
I’m not too concerned. My “mentor” has only been a level above me less than a year. Besides, the question was hypothetical……..
We’ve actually done a mentoring program with the kids at church (not my idea…a member of our committee is responsible for this one, and quite honestly she only thought of it as an assignment in a leadership class she was taking). Anyhoo, you’re right. When it’s a structured thing, it absolutely loses effectiveness. We have people calling asking how many times a month they have to contact their mentee!!! Hello!!!! The whole point is a relationship. Unfortunately, too many people miss the point. Just as too many people miss the point about following Christ being about a relationship rather than a list of rules. Your employer needs to get a clue!!!
“We have people calling asking how many times a month they have to contact their mentee!!!”
You’re kidding!! This is my point exactly. Thanks for your input, Kerri.
[...] a month ago, I had a post asking if you had a mentor, and shared some of my thoughts about being assigned the roll of a [...]