In the current uncertainty we all want someone to cling to, to show us the way. A mentor for the times. Mentorship -- as discussed in a recent “The Vertex Angle” podcast – is an organizational objective still achievable and now more important than ever. With reduced commutes, most professionals likely have some saved time re-investable in their organization’s people. This is not just good business, but a necessity. A firm’s greatest assets are its people and now the strength of their internal relationships – even if physically distanced – will differentiate team success and superior client experience. Otherwise what is an organization?
Just as it is problematic to cling too tightly to a mentor, it is also a fallacy that a professional should be looking for “a mentor,” as in just one. Over the course of my career, I learned how misguided it was that some mystical guru would appear on a mountaintop to set forth the professional universe’s secrets. No sensei or singular master. Looking back, I realize many people contributed little traits that developed my professional character and experiences. Thus, rather than seek a single person, it helps to glean elements from the many.
As a young finance professional, I was fortunate to be staffed in a group with ten senior investment bankers. While that kept me super busy and felt impossible to please everyone, I now realize that I carried away different treasured characteristics they all possessed. Sure they all had positives and negatives, but my collection of amalgamated positive clay pieces from them all is a legacy and advantage I carry forward.
Amazing transformational elements such as one mentor who conveyed the power of simple directional graphs. Another who stressed the importance of always framing situations in the positive. One who was a master at relationship-building with client support gatekeepers. Still another who rigorously verified changes input against his mark-up demanding excellence. A superior who taught the need for precise number verification and proofing. And still others who demonstrated rolling with the punches, building client sales trust, and defensive preparation.
Guess what? None of these “mentors” possessed all those skills, but I had the opportunity to learn them all from all of them. Encourage those in your organization to similarly invest in your next-generation of talent -- even remotely -- as it will endow a continuing return.