Mentoring - What is your experience?

[Govind]

I was going through the September 2004 Quality Progress. The last page article “Back to Basics” –Follow my lead, took my attention.

The article is about “mentoring”. What mentors do and how mentoring can improve the individual and benefit the organization. I have had mentors throughout my career. Iam very grateful for the guidance provided by those individuals. I can very well attribute much of my success and survival to those great individuals.

As explained by the author, mentoring can be a powerful influence on individual’s performance. Mentor need not be some one from your field. He/she can be a senior employee within your organization (or outside).

Have you ever been a mentor to some one currently successful in their career?
Or
Can you attribute your career success to any of your mentors current and past?

Regards,
Govind.

[Wes Bucey]

I have a pretty strict personal definition of a Mentor as being someone who goes out of his way to help an individual (almost always lower on the totem pole) make the right choices in pursuing a career. Almost always, this is slightly different from "protege" relationship where a senior employee grooms a junior employee to become a better functioning part of the organization. Mentoring is primarily to help the "mentee" (I don't believe there is such a word, since Mentor is named after a person not a verb.)
"To Mentor" used as a verb makes Mentor [Greek Mythology Odysseus's trusted counselor, in whose guise Athena became the guardian and teacher of Telemachus] an eponym.

In this regard, I eliminate 90% of on-the-job training which takes place because passing of experience and knowledge is an expected part of most jobs.

Almost always, the "reward" for Mentoring is internal satisfaction, not quantifiable in terms of money. Most "Mentoring Programs" I have seen organizations try to initiate a reward system for Mentors, which in my opinion, negates the concept of "selfless" counseling.

I don't recall ever having a Mentor, but I can recall role models. I have been an on again, off again Mentor - it all depends on the chemistry with the Mentee.

[Randy]

In my own crazy way of thinkng what many of us do here in the Cove is a form of mentoring. What do you think?

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Originally Posted by Randy

In my own crazy way of thinkng what many of us do here in the Cove is a form of mentoring. What do you think?

Maybe not so crazy... It's certainly in line with the definition provided by Wes...

/Claes

[Wes Bucey]

Yep! No material reward, except for a couple of green boxes opposite our names. Certainly seems almost a perfect example.

[Jim Howe]

Does Pee Wee Football Coach, Little League Baseball Umpire, or Cub Scout Pack Master count? Or are these examples of Wes's role models.
What about Supervisor to inspector? How restrictive does it have to be?

[SteelMaiden]

Before I had kids of my own, I used to mentor youth from the city that would have no opportunity to have their own horse. Usually kids from a broken home or poorer economical level. I'd try to teach them what I could about owning and caring for horses and if they chose, I would take them on the circuit with me in the summer. Most of this came about through our county's extension service/4-H program. Very fulfilling, saw some kids who were high risk/or already on the way to the skids turn their lives around, and graduate from HS and even college with excellent grades and a whole new way of looking at life. I think that I probably gained as much or more than any of them did. I recently kind of adopted a temp employee that was here for a 3 month job. She had everything she needed to make it, but just couldn't seem to find direction. Tried to just be there and teach her whatever I could. She is now going on to get her masters, and then probably a doctorate in social services. She recently called and thanked me for helping her take the first steps back onto the path she has wanted to take.

Throughout my life, there have been many people that made a special effort to guide, mold and just generally push me gently in the right direction. All of them mentored me to some extent, and all of them have left a lasting impression on who I am today.

[mooser]

I have had one person that I can say was a true mentor. He was my supervisor at work. At first I resented him because he had the job I thought I should have had. But he turned out to be supportive and likable fellow as well. He taught me a lot and when he left told me there was no reason that I couldn't do his job. Of course the Quality Manager didn't see it that way and I had to leave that company to have an opportunity to get a similar position. I know it was because of that mentor that I was able to finally able to get and do the Quality Manager job I have now.
Because someone took the time to mentor me, I have always given others the opportunity to be mentored if they wanted. In otherwords to take the time to teach other about things that go beyond the job at hand. After all I probably wouldn't be where I am without a mentor's help.

Mooser