What does it mean to be a mentor?
Oxford Languages defines it as:
noun
an experienced and trusted adviser
verb
advise or train
These seem like very basic and simple answers, if you have ever been mentored or have been a mentor you know it is much more than simple.
Depending on your organization you may be assigned to be a mentor to a new recruit. This could be beneficial to both parties but if and only both parties are able and willing. What does that even mean? Well, let’s start with the Mentee. If the new recruit comes in to the organization thinking they already have the skill set to be successful then they are already failing. It will take a good deal of humiliation to have the new recruit understand that they indeed do not have all of the skill set that may be required of them. A road block no doubt but one that can be overcome in time.
What about the Mentor? If you are assigned to be a mentor it requires a great deal of your time, effort and energy. A daunting task for sure, especially if the investment for the mentee is not truly vested.
In sports we see Mentorship all of the time. Perhaps more behind the curtain if you will but it is there. This may be from a coach, a team mate or even an assigned public specialist. Sports teams are investing millions of dollars into their players to get peak performance from them. Personal trainers, dietitians, educators, and position coaches. The greatest athletes are recruited because of their natural skill set but are honed to near perfection by a team of mentors for them.
In the business world this luxury is often overlooked and made to be much more simple. Instead of a team of experts coaching, training and developing a player to maximize performance it is typically dialed down to a more one on one. Not a bad thing per say, but what if a business professional had that same luxury of a team of mentors to help them maximize peak performance? That could be a huge game changer! Imagine a freshly graduated employee enters the work force and has a specialist that can guide them in all aspects of their job and maybe even their personal life. Far fetched perhaps but a inspiring thought nonetheless.
Business Mentors are asked to do much more than the simple definition of advise or train. They are asked to invest in the mentee, coaching them, guiding them and even befriending them. Mentoring becomes a labor of love. That labor is the joy and pride one receives when they see the student become the master. The joy of seeing your time, effort and energy come together and having the light bulb click on for the mentee. This is truly an amazing experience and both the Mentor and Mentee reap the benefits. The Mentor can now have a lighter or even easier work load and the Mentee becomes efficient at their job and in time a Mentor themselves.
Mentoring is more than advise and training, it is a labor of love. Taking time out of your schedule to truly develop someone to become a better version of themselves. It is more than the hope that one day the light bulb goes off and your work load becomes easier, it is a passion for seeing others succeed. It is taking pride and joy into helping others achieve their goals. Mentoring has no room for Ego, it does not keep track of stats or wins and loses, it keeps pushing for each person in that relationship to be more effective. Mentoring is compassion, patients, understanding and sharing.
-Born 2 Play Apparel
