I have been involved with a number of mentoring programs and even helped some companies who were facilitating mentoring across corporations. What I have learned over the years is that everyone needs a mentor and few want or know how to be one. Early on in my career I was assigned a mentor. He was a great guy but at the end of the day we didn't share the same values and principles or interests. But, I was assigned to him because he was more senior, successful and therefore, I should have been able to learn something from him and he should been able to teach something to me. Both were true and to some extent it worked, but he was never someone that now I call out as a mentor. Mentors are those who we seek out and because of the generosity of their heart and their spirit, they give the time, energy and emotional commitment to teach, inspire, listen and encourage. When you find a mentor who is like this, then it can be a magical and fulfilling relationship that lasts. I believe part of our purpose in bringing glory to God in our work is to follow in the footsteps of the great teacher and mentor, Jesus. It does not take long in the accounts of His life throughout the four Gospels to see how He mentored His disciples and others. He modeled to us a relationship where he walked, talked, ate, worked and ministered together. His direct disciples truly got the mentoring of all mentoring. We read in Proverbs 9:9 that our mentoring efforts are certainly not in vain; "Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more." Today, I would challenge ourselves on how much mentoring are we doing? If we don't have at least one person who would say that we have been a mentor to them, then we need to make ourselves more accessible and open to that possibility. Everyone needs a mentor. Why can't you be the one?
Reference: Proverbs 9:9 (New Living Testament)
Showing posts with label mentoring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mentoring. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
day 276: Mentoring...Who Me?
While I am on vacation, I have asked friends, and encouragers of Purposed worKING to contribute. Today's post comes from Cecelia and Joe Gonzalez, who asked not to be attributed, but I am doing so anyway as my thank you to them!
When we look at leadership in our organizations we often think of the CEO. But the reality is…successful organizations need leadership throughout. As our companies struggle in this economy, we often look for the magic bullet. What will be that one key strategy that will turn our business around? There are many things that need to change. And one of the most important things to change is that we ALL take on the responsibility of leadership. From the top of the organization we need a clear vision, but we must all examine how we can do things more effectively.
We have heard it said many times that it’s the “small things that get ya.” So instead of looking big let’s look small. Let us look at every aspect of what we do each and every day, and how we can make it better. Imagine a company of 1000 people making an incremental improvement on a consistent basis. Improving the way in which we value our resources --- money, customers, and most of all our own people. As we look at the wisdom in our organizations most of the time it comes from experience. So who will be the mentor to share what incremental changes need to take place? The people who have done it. Where will the most effective organizations in the future be coming from – we believe it will be from those companies that mentor best.
Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges said in their book, Lead Like Jesus, “Jesus understood from years of personal experience the challenges of daily life and work. Although Jesus was God, He was not ashamed to do a man’s work.” Ashamed, too proud, too busy … whatever our reason, we must overcome it.
As we look at the incredible mentor, Jesus Christ, he chose 12 ordinary men to save the world. So who will we chose to change or organizations and our lives? We must pray and listen to who God is putting in front of us. Not just at work but everywhere and all the time. This is not a 40/50 hour a week responsibility. The ultimate mentor said in John 13:12-15 after he finished washing his disciples feet, "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Let’s have our mentors be like Jesus and pray we are servant leaders ourselves.
Reference: John 13:12-15
When we look at leadership in our organizations we often think of the CEO. But the reality is…successful organizations need leadership throughout. As our companies struggle in this economy, we often look for the magic bullet. What will be that one key strategy that will turn our business around? There are many things that need to change. And one of the most important things to change is that we ALL take on the responsibility of leadership. From the top of the organization we need a clear vision, but we must all examine how we can do things more effectively.
We have heard it said many times that it’s the “small things that get ya.” So instead of looking big let’s look small. Let us look at every aspect of what we do each and every day, and how we can make it better. Imagine a company of 1000 people making an incremental improvement on a consistent basis. Improving the way in which we value our resources --- money, customers, and most of all our own people. As we look at the wisdom in our organizations most of the time it comes from experience. So who will be the mentor to share what incremental changes need to take place? The people who have done it. Where will the most effective organizations in the future be coming from – we believe it will be from those companies that mentor best.
Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges said in their book, Lead Like Jesus, “Jesus understood from years of personal experience the challenges of daily life and work. Although Jesus was God, He was not ashamed to do a man’s work.” Ashamed, too proud, too busy … whatever our reason, we must overcome it.
As we look at the incredible mentor, Jesus Christ, he chose 12 ordinary men to save the world. So who will we chose to change or organizations and our lives? We must pray and listen to who God is putting in front of us. Not just at work but everywhere and all the time. This is not a 40/50 hour a week responsibility. The ultimate mentor said in John 13:12-15 after he finished washing his disciples feet, "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Let’s have our mentors be like Jesus and pray we are servant leaders ourselves.
Reference: John 13:12-15
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