The Invisible Mentor

Archive for April, 2009

Definition of Mentoring: The modern usage of mentor – trusted friend, counsellor or teacher – first appeared in François Fénelon’s Les Aventures de Telemaque in 1699, Wikipedia (2009).  Dictionary.com has a similar definition for a mentor, “Wise and trusted counsellor or teacher, an influential senior sponsor or supporter.”  And Wikipedia notes that “Mentors provide their expertise to less-experienced individuals to help them advance their careers, enhance their education.”

Holland Bamboo, Jamaica

An important aspect of professional success involves participating in mentoring programs. And now more than ever, during these challenging economic times, employees need mentors to guide and advise them as they navigate flattened corporate structures. Research conducted for Sun Microsystems by research company Gartner and Capital Analytics, a software company, looked at 1,000 Sun employees over a five-year period to examine the financial impact of mentoring and found that:

• 25 percent of employees in a test group who took part in the company’s mentoring program had a salary-grade change, compared with 5 percent of employees in a control group who did not participate in the program
• 28 percent of mentors in the test group had a salary grade change as opposed to just 5 percent in the control group
• Mentors were promoted six times more often than those not in the program
• Mentees were promoted five times more often than those not in the program
• Retention rates were much higher for mentees (72 percent) and mentors (69 percent) than for employees who did not participate in the mentoring program (49 percent)

According to Wikipedia, “Mentors provide their expertise to less experienced individuals to help them advance their careers, enhance their education.” In the context of the Invisible Mentor, the following quotes sum up Invisible Mentoring:

“A wise man learns by the experience of others. An ordinary man learns by his own experience. A fool learns by nobody’s experience.” Vern McLellan

“If you would know the road ahead, ask someone who has traveled it.” Chinese Proverb

“It is good to learn what to avoid by studying the misfortunes of others.” Publius Syrius

“A prudent person profits from personal experience, a wise one from the experience of others.” Joseph Collins

“There are three schoolmasters for everybody that will employ them – the senses, intelligent companions, and books.” Rev. Henry Ward Beecher

I believe a great mentoring relationship assists the mentee to be the best he/she can be. What does mentoring mean to you? And how can Invisible Mentors work for you?

Related Posts

• Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (Part I)
• Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (Part II)
• Adventures: DIY Mentoring Program, Episode One

• Adventures in Learning: DIY Mentoring Program, Episode Two (theinvisiblementor.com)
• Adventures in Learning: DIY Mentoring Program, Episode Three (theinvisiblementor.com)
• Get the Mentoring Equation Right, Whitney Johnson

Instant Turnaround! Getting People Excited About Coming to Work and Working Hard by Harry Paul and Ross Reck is an easy read at 158 pages of large print. I liked the message and concepts, which are easy to understand, but I did not like the delivery. The story is in the form of a fable and it may be that I am tired of fables, but for me the setting and the situation outlined appeared contrived, too convenient and a bit phony and I couldn’t visualize myself in that setting.

 The meeting reminded me of a mastermind group where members talk about projects that they have been working on. The junior member of the group, Freddie Kim brings his mom Nancy who is visiting him. And it so happens that Nancy had faced the same issue that one of the other members faced and she was able to successfully resolve it and the coincidences continue.

 Now that I have gotten my bias out of the way I can focus on the core ideas outlined. The book is based on a clever concept called Destination Work and the beauty of the concept is that it’s nothing new, we all know it, yet many managers ignore it.

•  Focus on people as well as performance numbers
• Motivate employees with trust instead of fear. The four Be’s for motivating employees with trust
  • Be real: be sincere and try to have the same persona, both at home and work
  • Be appreciative: say thank you to employees and let them know that you notice their contributions
  • Be interested: interact with employees and learn more about them
  • Be nice

• Turn work into fun

 Instant Turnaround fleshes out the Destination Work concept and has a section at the back of the book which demonstrates how to apply the concept. Though I did not like the way the message was delivered, I appreciated the message because it makes sense. Like anything in life one-size seldom fits all and I know from experience in my consulting practice, and from the experiences from colleagues that this model will not work in all instances simply because some senior managers firmly believe in managing using a culture of fear. There are times in life when we simply have to walk away, and the trick is to know when.

 At work, what are some simple ways that you can demonstrate that you appreciate the things people do? Could you make the time to have lunch with someone you work with who you do not know very well? What are ways you can assist colleagues or subordinates to make their work-life easier?

Other Book Reviews

Necessity is the Mother of Invention: A Book Review of the Swiss Family Robinson

The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett Book Review

Perfect Day for Reading in Barbados

While reading, interact with the words on the pages and bring them to life. Scan internal memory banks for related information. Nothing exists in a vacuum so find ways to connect the new information to the old and form something completely new. Connect two pieces of information that appear to have nothing in common. Play with the information and expand your thinking.

Blog about the book as you read to start a conversation.

Process what you are reading as you are reading. How can you apply one concept from the book to make life easier? Think about it and read in motion. What are your thoughts?  What are other ways that you can read in motion?

No related post

Rodger Harding

Dabid Gray

 
Learning from the experiences of others shortens the time it takes to achieve professional success. Invisible Mentors Rodger Harding and David Gray share with us what a typical day is like and what it takes to succeed in their fields. What can we learn from them?

What’s a typical day like for you?

 Rodger Harding (RH): I start the day at 6:00 am with several cups of coffee, until its recent demise, enjoyed along with the wonderfully structured chaos of Tom Allen’s Music & Company (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2);

I consciously take stock of being alive, my good fortune and what needs to be done that day; I tackle pressing or unpleasant tasks first, ready the office for any clients that might be due; prepare for out of office seminars; before day’s end, I ensure all paperwork/materials are ready for the next day;

I intersperse routine with personal e-mails, answering calls, a short walk or even an out of office pleasurable activity;

No two days are ever the same!

David Gray (DG): A typical week-day starts around 7:30 am with a breakfast of home-made muesli.  I very seldom miss breakfast.  While I eat, I respond to emails. Then it’s off to meet my clients.  When possible, I grab a quick lunch.  Then in the afternoon the consultation process continues with my clients.  In addition to my own practice www.davidgraycoach.com I work on large firms’ Career and Coaching delivery contracts, so there is seldom a dull moment.  By 7 pm I am usually home and enjoy spending a couple of hours with my wife, Anne, sharing a laugh while we cook and eat dinner and then settle in for a couple hours of reading or TV.  By 11 pm I am back at the computer responding to emails.  By 1 pm I am generally in bed. 

 Saturdays and Sundays are catch-up days.  I might see one or two clients on a Saturday, but for the most part I enjoy doing domestic chores (yes, I am that rare male who actually enjoys doing cooking, laundry etc., as I find it very relaxing.)  For exercise I swim at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre at Spadina & Bloor where I am a member.  I try to fit some yoga in at the Yoga Sanctuary at College and Yonge, and I do a stretching and Pilates routine at home that Dr Darlene at Balance Fitness at Yonge & St Clair designed for me.

 What do you observe most people in your field doing badly that you think you do well?

 RH: I prefer to work on a subjective basis with clients, marrying their circumstance/requirements to objective market/industry/workplace realities; I have a strong aversion to labels, profiling and template driven training;

 To reach other people requires a degree of risk … I believe I take those risks recognizing, understanding and acknowledging the individuality of others is the greatest validation I can provide!

DG: I tend to think way outside the existing structures and definitions concerning how to help people break-through to new levels of consciousness in both their business and personal ways of dealing with challenges.

 What does it take to succeed in your field?

 RH: To bring the message above to as many people as possible

 Avil’s Note: Rodger’s reference to “message above” in his response  refers to his formula for success, which is immediately below:

•  Being who I am rather than who I am expected to be! This involves:
• Fully utilizing innate & learned ability
• Achieving a high degree of pleasure/happiness
• Accommodation (acceptance) in a like-minded environment
• Adequate means of survival
• The ongoing opportunity to evolve to my fullest potential….

 DG: To be successful in my field one typically needs empathy, compassion, a conscientious work ethic and a background in HR.  However, to be truly outstanding one additionally needs a great degree of life history in a variety of business settings as well as a high degree of intuitive and innovative intelligence in order to be able to work with people from numerous diverse backgrounds who are each struggling with very individual career and life challenges.  In a word, one needs wisdom.  And typically, that can only be accumulated over a long period of time after encountering a variety of challenging situations in one’s own career and life.

Are there any lessons we can learn from Rodger and David? How might we adapt some of their ideas? What are your thoughts?

Related Posts

Interview With Your “Invisible Mentor” Rodger Harding

Learn from the Experiences of Others: Interview With David Gray

About Rodger Harding: For more than a decade Rodger Harding’s Toronto based Business Leadership Consultancy has provided high level consulting, training & keynote speaking services to diverse corporate, government and not-for- profit clients.  His skill-set has evolved over almost three decades in an international career that spans, Law, Diplomacy and Business Consulting.

About David Gray: David has advised executive clients based in Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia.  In addition to his own consulting practice, David serves as President of the Board, Toronto Chapter of the Association of Career Professionals International (ACP International), and is a member of the Strategic Leadership Forum (GTA).

“Korean CEOs read an average of two or three books per month, which was slightly lower than what their counterparts at western companies who read on average 1,000 pages per month,” says a research report by Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI) documented in Korea Economic Trends, NO.333, August 7, 2004. Assuming that the average book is 200 – 250 pages in length, western CEOs read four to five books each month.

Another unrelated study by the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy indicates that, “in 2007, CEOs in the United States took home an average of $10.5 million, 344 times the take-home for typical American workers . Thirty years ago, chief executives averaged only 30 to 40 times the average American worker paycheck.”

Is there a connection between how much you read and earning potential? Can you afford not to read in a 24/7 world where the ability to apply knowledge is KING?

Earl Nightingale in his audio program Lead The Field, quotes Louis Shores, a librarian, poet, social activist, and maverick educator as saying:

“Each of us must find his own 15-minute period each day for reading. It’s better if it’s regular. The only requirement is the will to read. With it, you can find 15 minutes, no matter how busy the day. That means you will read half a book a week, two books a month, 20 a year and 1,000 in a lifetime.”

But in the age of rapid change, reading half a book a week is simply not enough. How about reading a book a week which is on par with western CEOs? Allocate 30 minutes each day for reading instead of the 15 minutes that Louis Shores recommends.

Finding time to read

There are 365 days in a year, which means that you have 8,760 hours every year. If you sleep eight hours each night, there are 5,840 hours when you are awake. Subtract 2,080 hours for a 40-hour workweek and you are left with 3,760 hours to use however you choose. Couldn’t you take 130 of those hours to invest in your professional development? That’s just half-an-hour a day, five days a week. Wake up 30 minutes earlier or go to bed 30 minutes later to carve out your reading time.

In Better Than Good, Zig Ziglar mentions a University of Southern California study, which revealed that

“If you live in a metropolitan area and drive 12,000 miles a year, in three years’ time you can acquire the equivalent of two years of college education in your automobile… As a result, you can get the type of education that will equip you more effectively for what you are doing.”

Based on the research results, Zig Ziglar came up with the concept of “Automobile University.” Today, the concept could be called “Mobile University” since so many people use public transportation for their long commutes. Commute times can be used for reading or listening to books.

Look at each day, how much time is spent waiting: doctor’s office, checkout lines, delayed flights and so on. Those precious minutes could be spent listening to or reading a book

When going on road trips with family and friends, instead of listening to only music and talk radio, also include a few audio programs that everyone can enjoy.

Any professional can find at least 30 minutes each day to dedicate to reading. Make sure that you always have a book with you for the unexpected delays.

Excerpts from the workbook Journey to Getting It

Related Post

Building Intellectual Power One Book at a Time
To Read or Not to Read, Now That’s the Question

Photo credit: Avil Beckford