The Value of Wisdom and Mentoring
By Sojourner on 02-21-2008
- Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court Justice),
- Theodore V. Wellls Jr. (who represented Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff and was voted 2006 Lawyer of the Year by the National Law Journal),
- Edward P. Jones (Pulitzer Prize-winning author), Stanley E. Grayson (an investment banker and former New York City Deputy Mayor), and
- Eddie J. Jenkins (a Miami Dolphins running back).
They were all students at the College of the Holy Cross and were handpicked to be given special attention and mentoring by John E. Brooks, the former dean and president for the college. As quoted in the Business Week article, “The Holy Cross Fraternity” , Wells attributed his and his classmates’ success to Brooks’ mentoring at the college, particularly during a time of stressed racial tension following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. The article brings out the value of mentoring and peer support.
Women entrepreneur groups have turned out to be places for mentoring and informal exchanges of support and wisdom. There are a number of groups such as National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) that provide structured and formal mentoring. I have encountered so many older and more experienced business women who would share their stories and business freely and generously. Even this past weekend, I was at a social gathering of rising professional women and women entrepreneurs. A vice president at Time Warner shared her life story and experience generously and candidly with us in an intimate setting. Last week I also met several experienced business executives who have been in venture capital and have turned individual investors in smaller companies and start-up’s. They provide mentoring to company executives in daily operations and running of their businesses.
Have you thought of finding a coach or mentor to bring your personal life and career to the next level? There is significant value to those experiences as exemplified by the lives of four very successful men cited at the beginning of this article. For 2008, consider taking a risk and asking someone to take an interest and invest in your company, life or career!
Brady, Diane. “The Holy Cross Fraternity”, the BusinessWeek, March 12, 2007, p. 70-76.
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Posted by Sojourner on Feb 24, 2008
JudyS: There are several ways to find a mentor. You may want to look at your existing network. Is there anyone whom you admire and respect? You could approach them and ask if they would be interested in meeting with you on a regular basis (e.g., once a month) to guide you in your career. If you don't have a broad network, you could consider joining your alumni association or professional organization that will help you to broaden your network and to meet more experienced professionals who may help you. Try also look into organizations such as SCORE that regularly put together workshops and has a mentoring program. Good luck and hope that you can connect with someone or possibly a group of people who may serve as your business advisors/mentors. |
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Posted by bsaunders on Apr 4, 2008
What I've found trickier is finding a mentor when you want to do something original. My inner Rational hates jumping through hoops. It actually makes me angry. I believe they are a near-total waste of time and energy and almost always amount to hazing. It has been a challenge finding mentors who see it as their role to help mentees avoid hoops rather than "grooming them." That is the kind of mentor I seek out and the kind I try to be. At a recent job, I went to bat for several job candidates who were seen as "not ideal" simply because they did not have the paper credentials other candidates possessed. Four months later, after a very difficult project, the three employees that others did not want to hire were ranked by their direct managers as 1- "extraordinarily smart", 2 - "the top performer on the team", and 3 - "one of our most dedicated and reliable team members." Sweet vindication! |
Thanks for the pointer. I looked up NAWBO - www.nawbo.org and it looks interesting. Are there other avenues for finding a mentor you recommend?