Mentoring is discussed often in educational and business environments.
It is highly encouraged; but when asked, most people do not have a mentor or serve as a mentor.
Have you mentored? Been mentored? If not, you are missing a great opportunity to grow and develop and become even more successful and to assist others to be more successful, too.
Generally, there are 3 types of mentoring relationships: 1.
Mentoring for academic/educational success 2.
Mentoring for business/career success 3.
Mentoring for personal improvement/development success Mentoring for educational success is usually formal.
The school, college, or university officially recognizes the relationship.
It is usually a short-term relationship throughout a project or program.
Likewise mentoring programs for personal improvement.
Usually these are project based as well - assistance to lose weight, to lower stress, to help learn a language or a myriad of other improvement projects.
Mentoring for business success can also be project based, but are most often longer relationships spanning more than one year.
When is the correct time to choose a mentor and how do you choose a mentor? The answer to these questions are as varied and personal as those who choose it.
There are formal programs such as Mentor, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and those offered by schools and corporations.
There are also informal mentoring relationships; those have been my longest and most successful ones.
My longest mentoring relationship has been with a former boss.
I worked with Congressman Mazzoli in the 1990s.
From him, I learned to work hard and make tough decisions while not compromising on grace or personal integrity.
Though he has now retired from the U.
S.
House of Representatives and we no longer work together, we continue to stay in touch via annual visits and through emails and hand-written letters.
Once he, his wife and I catch up on family and work news, he always asks, "So, what new thing are you working on now?"Though a simple question, it creates amazing dialogue between us that always carries valuable advice from them.
Another mentoring relationship I have is an academic one with Dr.
Schuttler, Club-Asteria's Director of Entrepreneurial Education.
I met Dr.
Schuttler when he was Associate Dean at the University of Phoenix School of Advanced Studies.
He facilitated our first residency where I instantly fell in love with his command of the room and his personal way of instructing that was easy-going but no nonsense.
Watching his interaction with the instructors and doctoral students over the two-year program allowed me to respect him and his style even more.
I was pleased when he agreed to be my personal dissertation mentor / committee chair.
When we successfully completed my doctor of management program, Dr.
Schuttler said, "Congratulations and then he asked,what's next?" My third mentor is my current boss.
Normally a boss should not be a mentor.
A mentor should not be someone who is your first or even second line supervisor.
However, my current boss was my second line supervisor a few years ago.
He went to another directorate in our agency, and I went to yet another one.
During those two years we visited over happy hours and dinners catching up with each other.
And like the other mentors, he would always ask, "What are you doing?" and of course, "What's next?" Last year, he became the Deputy Associate Director of the Directorate where we first met.
He asked me to return.
During our workdays we are boss and subordinate.
However, he reminded me that even though he is now my boss, he did not want to give up his role as my mentor.
So recently we got together after work hours for a mentoring session.
It was so great to be able to leave all the work discussions at the office and talk personally about my goals and dreams with someone who understood my work history, capabilities, and dreams.
In 2011, I wish for you quality people in your life who want the best for you who will regularly ask you,"what's next?" and then give you advice on how to get to your next level of success.
If there is someone you admire and respect, think about asking him or her to be your mentor.
He or she may surprise you by saying yes.
The Mentoring Relationship Decide Why do you want to be a mentor/mentee? Communicate Have a discreet, transparent initial conversation understanding and agreeing on the expectations, milestones, and challenges.
Determine Create an action plan; determine check in points along the way; and stay in touch through whatever communication style previously agreed upon - meetings, phone calls, emails, Skype, etc.
Celebrate Once the project/program is over take time to celebrate the successful completion, and then make a plan to answer the question, "what's next?"
It is highly encouraged; but when asked, most people do not have a mentor or serve as a mentor.
Have you mentored? Been mentored? If not, you are missing a great opportunity to grow and develop and become even more successful and to assist others to be more successful, too.
Generally, there are 3 types of mentoring relationships: 1.
Mentoring for academic/educational success 2.
Mentoring for business/career success 3.
Mentoring for personal improvement/development success Mentoring for educational success is usually formal.
The school, college, or university officially recognizes the relationship.
It is usually a short-term relationship throughout a project or program.
Likewise mentoring programs for personal improvement.
Usually these are project based as well - assistance to lose weight, to lower stress, to help learn a language or a myriad of other improvement projects.
Mentoring for business success can also be project based, but are most often longer relationships spanning more than one year.
When is the correct time to choose a mentor and how do you choose a mentor? The answer to these questions are as varied and personal as those who choose it.
There are formal programs such as Mentor, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and those offered by schools and corporations.
There are also informal mentoring relationships; those have been my longest and most successful ones.
My longest mentoring relationship has been with a former boss.
I worked with Congressman Mazzoli in the 1990s.
From him, I learned to work hard and make tough decisions while not compromising on grace or personal integrity.
Though he has now retired from the U.
S.
House of Representatives and we no longer work together, we continue to stay in touch via annual visits and through emails and hand-written letters.
Once he, his wife and I catch up on family and work news, he always asks, "So, what new thing are you working on now?"Though a simple question, it creates amazing dialogue between us that always carries valuable advice from them.
Another mentoring relationship I have is an academic one with Dr.
Schuttler, Club-Asteria's Director of Entrepreneurial Education.
I met Dr.
Schuttler when he was Associate Dean at the University of Phoenix School of Advanced Studies.
He facilitated our first residency where I instantly fell in love with his command of the room and his personal way of instructing that was easy-going but no nonsense.
Watching his interaction with the instructors and doctoral students over the two-year program allowed me to respect him and his style even more.
I was pleased when he agreed to be my personal dissertation mentor / committee chair.
When we successfully completed my doctor of management program, Dr.
Schuttler said, "Congratulations and then he asked,what's next?" My third mentor is my current boss.
Normally a boss should not be a mentor.
A mentor should not be someone who is your first or even second line supervisor.
However, my current boss was my second line supervisor a few years ago.
He went to another directorate in our agency, and I went to yet another one.
During those two years we visited over happy hours and dinners catching up with each other.
And like the other mentors, he would always ask, "What are you doing?" and of course, "What's next?" Last year, he became the Deputy Associate Director of the Directorate where we first met.
He asked me to return.
During our workdays we are boss and subordinate.
However, he reminded me that even though he is now my boss, he did not want to give up his role as my mentor.
So recently we got together after work hours for a mentoring session.
It was so great to be able to leave all the work discussions at the office and talk personally about my goals and dreams with someone who understood my work history, capabilities, and dreams.
In 2011, I wish for you quality people in your life who want the best for you who will regularly ask you,"what's next?" and then give you advice on how to get to your next level of success.
If there is someone you admire and respect, think about asking him or her to be your mentor.
He or she may surprise you by saying yes.
The Mentoring Relationship Decide Why do you want to be a mentor/mentee? Communicate Have a discreet, transparent initial conversation understanding and agreeing on the expectations, milestones, and challenges.
Determine Create an action plan; determine check in points along the way; and stay in touch through whatever communication style previously agreed upon - meetings, phone calls, emails, Skype, etc.
Celebrate Once the project/program is over take time to celebrate the successful completion, and then make a plan to answer the question, "what's next?"
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