Mentoring is one of the greatest gifts a professional can give to another professional. I have had many mentors in my career and am forever thankful for their guidance and support.
Marshall Goldsmiths’ article, The Model for Great Mentoring, in Talent Management Magazine, talks to the 4 core competencies a mentor must exhibit for a mentor/mentee relationship to be successful. Surrendering, Accepting, Gifting and Extending are the 4 core competencies Mr. Goldsmith addresses, but my favorite mention is that mentoring is an honor. To be able to share your expertise, strong business savvy and help another person be a better employee, boss or human being is truly the definition of selflessness.
In our busy work and personal lives, we can easily overlook a subordinate, a colleague or someone you might associate with in your volunteer work that reaches out for advice. Subsequently, we, as professionals, often miss the chance to be mentored.
Mentoring plays a critical role in the professional development of our team members and ultimately makes for stronger team. What is unique about this type relationship is that it changes or becomes what is needed at the time and can last for months, even years.
As someone who has been on both sides, I was so grateful for the selfless efforts of my mentor who took the time to share their leadership insights with me. And while I soaked it all in, part of me wondered if they even knew they were mentoring me. I need to reach out and thank them.
What makes a great leader? I believe that selflessness is right up there the top of the list. Being a mentor to others has been the pinnacle of my career because what I learned about myself was the best gift. Knowing how I was perceived and thought of in the workplace helped shape me and made me a better colleague.
Several months ago I received a text message from a couple of coworkers that I worked with at a previous job. It simply stated;
“You were the single best Manager we’ve ever had. Thank you for being so awesome.”
That was by far the absolute best gift I have ever received. Totally random and unsolicited – they had been reminiscing about days when we worked together. I was so moved, and still am today, that I was able to somehow impact and make a difference.
I would love to hear your story as a mentor or a mentoring relationship that changed you, professionally and/ or personally. Thank your mentor and thank yourself for mentoring our up and coming leaders.
About the Mouth
Carol McDaniel is the Senior Vice President at Kinetix – a Recruitment Process Outsourcing firm. Carol’s background combines extensive Human Resource consulting, recruiting, marketing and advertising expertise. With her strong understanding of the many challenges in today’s competitive labor market environment she is considered a subject matter expert in the employer marketing and branding process. This expertise has proved to play a crucial role in the development of talent management and acquisition strategies for her clients. Carol is a frequent speaker at HR and SHRM events, national programs and training seminars to focus on the areas of talent acquisition and talent communications. Carol also volunteers her time with the HR Florida State Council and serves on the Executive committee as the the President-Elect. Read more from Carol here.
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