I would like to ask you to think about mentorship a little differently.
In today’s network economy, old mentorship models are falling by the wayside as new business models and changing demographics surface new needs. Fading fast are the celebrity driven, name dropping, linear mentorship models. String citing mentors and their credentials doesn’t really accomplish much in today’s world.
They are being replaced with models based on mutual contributions, ongoing learning and unique individual value. They rely upon more balanced, authentic relationships – the same drivers for most platform and network business models.
We live in a time when mentors are getting older and staying “in the game” longer. At the same time, mentees are confronted with accelerating change and complex business problems. They have access to information and technology tools that many mentors never had.
What motivates both is changing as well. For mentors, being current in an industry, and the intangibles of “giving back” are often critical drivers – often more-so than financial outcomes. For mentees, having someone who can project stability, safety in the storm of ever changing business conditions, is critical as well. Having someone or a group of someone(s) who have weathered adversity can come in handy.
Finally, with a plethora of challenges come many needs. Rather than having one mentor input based on a singular experience, successful mentorship often has to involve multiple mentors with many different perspectives and disparate belief systems. In other words they may all go about decision making in decisively different ways.
This is where two-sided mentorship comes in.
As in business platform models, everyone in a business’s stakeholder network enjoys their own unique value derived from being a participant in the network. And everyone contributes uniquely as well. Further, what drives value for mentors and mentees actually changes over time. It is dynamic, not static. As relationships grow – as businesses grow, value evolves with needs. When one lesson is learned it is time for the next one.
The basic idea is that there is a core value proposition for everyone in a company’s or individual mentee’s ecology. What does the mentor receive? What does the mentee receive? And the answers to those questions is ever changing.
Does this comparison resonate with you?
I was personally blessed with many great very accomplished and world class mentors. My learning strategy was to learn one unique insight from each one which I was willing to embrace into my belief system. A few of those here:
- If we are sitting here a year from now: If we succeed why? If we fail, why?
- Be honest with yourself in identifying what is in the way of success – then deal with it.
- Nothing is as important as you think that it is.
- All of your health factors rise and fall together – physical, spiritual, mental. Family counts.
- Don’t suffer big shots. Likewise, don’t struggle to be a big shot. Humility will get you a long ways.
- More things fail than succeed. You can always fail. You can always succeed.
- The world tends to accept you on your own terms. If you don’t believe in yourself, don’t expect anyone else to.
- Think big. It is easier than thinking small.
- What one thing do you do and understand better than anyone else? Do that.
- Communicate always. Keep it short.
- Listen carefully. We all seek recognition and listening is the most powerful form of recognition.
- If you are passionate, accomplished, competent, and willing to sacrifice, tangible rewards will follow.
- Value the journey, and the people who own your collective vision. Be nice to them.
- Be a good steward. Be kind.
- Luck plays a role.
Here is to you Burt! K>
