Mentors, Models and Opportunities to Grow

I've had mentoring on my mind lately.

I am currently a mentor to four and I declined a request to be a mentor to another recently. I adore the mentees I am working with now and I don't have the time to devote to another quality mentor relationship. While a mentor will want to limit their mentoring relationships, a mentee will want to broaden theirs.  

iStock

Here are a few I'd like to share with you about broadening the definition of a mentoring relationship, developing a portfolio of mentors and three mentors you need for career success.

How to Find a Mentor to Help You Go Further, Faster

The gem in this article is the suggestion that we broaden our definition of mentoring to include blog, podcasts, conferences and coaches. "Instead of focusing on what you don’t have—a one-on-one, traditional mentoring relationship—focus on what you do have: more opportunities than ever before in history to learn and grow."

 Mentorship 2.0: How to find the Mentor you Need

The idea that caught my attention is the "reality that most mentors don’t come from central casting. You’re probably not going to find your own 'Rich Dad' whose hobby is guiding you through life lessons and dispensing sage advice . . .Think, instead, about developing a portfolio of mentors."

Mentorship Trifecta - Why You Need 3 Mentors for Career Success

In introducing three types of mentors, the author encourages, "You are the initiator and the owner of your mentor relationships, whether or not you have them, who they are, and what you do with them. You drive the 'asks' made of them– and the more specific you can be, the better."

The model may be changing but the need for leaders to share, encourage and guide others while developing themselves still exists. Mentoring is an opportunity to give back. Here is a final article on Seven Ways To Be an Effective Mentor.  

Do you mentor? Why? Why not?

Change: A Day in the Life Sunday

Change is good. It's not always easy and it's not always welcome but, one way or another, the need for change will present itself in ways that you cannot avoid, ignore or explain away.

iStockphoto

Embrace it, it's here and it's long overdue.

So, what's this all about? I promise you it's not as grandiose as you may think. I am adding leadership staff to my HR department. I am turning over the reins. Not all the reins and not all at once - it's simply not in my nature - but it will be done.

The facility has expanded dramatically in size and complexity and the HR staff of seven I started with over nine years ago has blossomed to over 16. Supervisors, managers and senior leaders support me to no end. My staff is a-m-a-z-i-n-g and they do whatever it takes to deliver quality HR services every day - even when I am there but not available to them.

They deserve more and I expect more from myself.

I know the kind of leader I want to be and I haven't been delivering. Not even close. We've expanded past the point that I can lead staff, manage delivery of HR services, facilitate change and respond to the myriad needs of our supervisor, managers and leaders well on my own.

Despite encouragement to add leadership staff, I struggled to get past the idea that "I can do it with the resources I have." Once I faced reality that I was not delivering, the rest was easy. I set out to find skilled professionals I could trust with my vision and my people. I found them.

My new Lead Labor Relations guy joins my new Assistant Chief tomorrow. Health care system supervisors, managers and HR staff will have ready access to two more HR leaders, I will share my workload (it's all about me, remember?) and we will build on new ideas, expertise and perspective to take the department to new heights.

I get giddy (yes, I just said giddy) when I think about the possibilities.