Episode 6 - WTF is a Mentor and Why Do You Need One? Off the rip, this is not an advice show. It’s just a dude on a microphone. Have you ever met someone who looks like they have their shit together? You know the type, they’ve got goals, vision boards...three year plan, a five year plan...a plan in general. When asked why they want to achieve a big goal, they will explain how it fits into a series of cascading goals to get them to a destination. I’m not really one of those people. It’s not to say that I don’t plan, but I sure as hell don’t have my life figured out. If I were to be honest, I would say I don’t know if I’ll ever have my life figured out. Life for me has been a rollercoaster of joy, happiness, anxiety, pain, loss. I was asked recently why I started this program and what I hope to gain. I didn’t have a good answer. I guess I think about my life as more about taking advantage of opportunities when they happen, rather than to force an opportunity that may not exist. That’s what I’m doing with this program. Some people I meet have explicitly told me what they hope or expect to accomplish with a program. For me, not so much. I’m in this for the journey. Right now, I’m living in an area that has some of the most amazing universities in the US, so when I started, I guess I just thought that it was now or never. In my experience, life never goes according to plan. The presentation you practiced for hours and hours gets derailed because the projector isn’t working, the tough conversation you’ve rehearsed in your head a million times never gets the same reaction you imagined, people disappoint you. You disappoint yourself. You fail. And with any luck, you do what a resilient human would do. You get pissed. You complain. You cry. You start to ask existential questions about what you are doing with your life. But you get up. You keep getting up and you move on with more knowledge and wisdom than you had the day before. Everyone I’ve ever known could use some help to make it through this process. To help put everything into perspective. To help them grow. Mentor Basics •WTF is it? •Someone who has your best interest and can help you grow personally and professionally. •Alternative insight. Maybe it could help you from making too quick of a decision? •Typically not a boss. •Usually someone who has more experience than you at something, typically work-related. Bonus points for leadership experience, but it’s okay if not. •They’ve got some stories to tell... •Let’s face it - quarter life and mid-life crisises are a thing and they’re a thing because this life ain’t easy and their are either way too many rules or way too few, depending on how you look at it. •Why is it so weird? •Just ask someone. The worst they could do is say no. •Selecting the Right Person •Find Someone Who You Look Up to •Decide a Time Commitment •Decide What You Want out of it •Decide on a standing agenda, even if it’s a little bit weird. •Does it matter - Check out the Scholarly Articles, including Does Mentoring Matter? A Multidisciplinary Meta-Analysis Comparing Mentored and Non-Mentored Individuals by Lillian T. Eby, Tammy D. Allen, Sarah C. Evans, Thomas Ng, and David DuBois. Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this show are that of the host only. They do not represent their children, wives, dogs, employers, co-workers, neighbors, inlaws, friends, acquaintances, or esteemed university faculty.