Why We Need Mentors
- Richard Grehalva
- Mar 16, 2017
- 2 min read
As Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Mentors can be a force of change and they can influence many people, including you.
"Mentoring", this Greek term has been used in countless ways, but it all refers to the same idea. Giving guidance and advice to another person.
Let’s take a quick look at where and what it means to be a mentor...
It comes from the story of Homer. When he left, on his journey, he asked, his friend “Mentor” to look after his son. It means that this is a committed relationship between a young person and an adult. The adult has the patience to teach the young person whatever he knows, from and about life. It is the adult's responsibility to provide support, assistance and guidance. As the younger one, faces new challenges and problems everyday.
Mentors usually take the role of the parents, when the parent is busy or unavailable, during the critical stages of a person's life. They are needed because they can be a positive influence on the mentee who is learning from them.
There are two types of mentoring. First, is the natural mentoring and the second is planned mentoring. Natural mentoring can come from everyday situations, where anyone can be your mentor. You can learn through friendship, teaching or counseling. Planned mentoring comes from a structured program, where the mentor and the mentee, are matched through a formal procedure.
Mentoring is becoming increasingly popular in the workforce, as well as, for personal development. This is partly due to various testimonials among people who have tried it and found it has many advantages.
Mentors give back to society and make career growth, personal development and intellectual achievement possible, for the person they are mentoring.
Mentoring is very helpful, in the workplace, because mentors can provide the necessary insights and perspectives on what a person should do, to achieve his/her goals.
A mentor is also a very helpful option, in your personal development, because the mentor can help you during tough personal and social stress. They can offer guidance just when you need it the most.
Why become a Mentor? Ralph Waldo Emerson stated that, "You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late."
Mentors are doing kindness when they take on the responsibility of helping other people learn from their experiences.
A very nice quote, from an unknown author read, "A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could."
The mentor does just that, they believe that their mentees can do it. This, in itself, is usually encouragement enough, for the mentee to do their best to succeed in life.
Change your Mindset and Change your Results...
