Even the most seasoned nonprofit, consulting and business professionals among us need to mentor. Why is mentoring so important? Why must we continue to refine and expand our capabilities? Let’s examine the benefits of mentorship…
- The more things change the more things stay the same. Perhaps someone with more experience and provide guidance on a new service offering, plan or even a writing sample. This expertise is beneficial, especially if it has an impact on revenue that you are hoping to generate for your organization or client. While you might think that you have seen or heard it all, someone else has seen and heard more. Perhaps we need to give her/him a chance to offer some feedback and disavow some of our commonly held notions.
- You can always learn something new. Even if we are subject matter experts, there is always an opinion or perspective that can change your viewpoint and offer a new way of looking at a situation. It is easy to have tunnel vision, but broadening your mind and listening to someone else is a skill that is more difficult to acquire.
- Remove the clutter. It can be difficult sometimes to figure out our priorities and determine fact from fiction. There is a lot of noise in our world and it helps to redirect our focus and set our sights on achieving a specific goal. A mentor can help you organize the clutter and sharpen your thinking.
- Finding an advocate. When I started working as a consultant, I had several mentors who helped provide support and strategic advice as I launched my business. When you have that person/people in your corner, it serves as a motivator and showcases the fact that people believe in you and what you do. This can help you overcome some difficult and challenging situation.
Who do you consider a mentor and how has he/she helped you?
