Leadership

Some companies that have new employee(s) (that are considered a "rising star") are placed with an experienced manager and will "learn" for a year with that person.

Other companies hope that the new employee and his or her boss will instruct them on what is best for the company and the job.

Still, other employee's are just placed and the "best" is prayed for.

Either way, there are problems with any of these. The first, the two individuals might not get along. Of course, hopefully, the company will match a new mentor with a new employee and the "rising star" will truly benefit.

The second way is hit or miss. A boss needs help, thus that's why they are hiring. Hopefully with the hire he or she will have the time to mentor their staff so that they can grow and flourish. Personally, I have rarely found this to occur - finding a boss that is also a mentor is a long-shot (but, when you find one, stay as long as you can - your mentor/boss will tell you when it is time to leave and move on).

The third is the most common and frustrating for new employee's. Don't get me wrong, companies and even the boss will do everything they can to help the newbie figure out what their scope of responsibility is what they need to do to keep their job.

And this is what it all comes down to - a mentor is an individual who is there to coach you to the next level of life, be it professional, personal, or what you need most to learn and know.

Personally, I have never been forced into a mentorship or forced to be a mentor (even though friends as well as employee's of mine have asked me to mentor someone that they know). I always gravitated towards those that I knew could teach me about life (either business or personal), and of course, people came to me to learn about life, which I gladly gave them every moment I could spare (as did my mentors).

But, over time, we both split on our accord (I learned all I could or I taught all I could), but, it wasn't a forced end (where the corporate program would end after a year).

When you are a manager of a staff, it is your responsibility to be a mentor to ALL of them, (if they want it). If they don't want it, fine, but, every effort should be made to inform them that you are available to teach them anything and everything that you have learned over the years. It could be as simple as teaching them macro's in Office or coaching them through the implementation of a major marketing campaign.

NOTE: I am not talking about just teaching them to do their job better but to teach them whatever you are learned in that they want to learn about. I would have loved to have had a mentor that could have taught me about starting a new business (I learned that on my own); or have a mentor that could explain the complete press release process, from the what to they why to the how - never had that, but thanks to an agency, I learned.

Speaking about mentoring is totally different then understand what a mentor is and what it takes to be a mentor. They are out there IN your life, you just have to recognize that they are there and ask them for help/advice.

Here are some criteria for being a mentor (which should help you recognize one when you come across one):

• They say "i don't know", when they don't know
• They are available for advice almost anytime
• They go the extra mile to help you with an answer/situation
• They give more then they receive
• They find others who can help you (or suggest others)
• They want to see you succeed as much as you do

It's pretty basic, but, these are my key components that make a mentor. Of course, the mentor has to be in the same field/profession or have had the same experience as you if they truly can "mentor" you to your success.

As a side note, mentors can give you "sayings" and "quotes" that you will remember for the rest of your life.

"No one on their deathbed said they should have worked more."

"The easiest way to get someones attention is to put money IN their pocket or take money OUT of their pocket."

It's the little things that count - they make all of our lives so much easier. Find a mentor or mentors that compliment your strengths and weaknesses - it WILL pay off.