03 Magazine: November 03, 2023

TheValue of a
Mentor
Recently, I was struck so much by
the constant use of the word ‘mentor’
that I thought I’d do a gentle dive
into the whole topic to answer some
questions about something I hold as
a very precious and valued act.
Questions like: What does being a
mentor involve? What can all parties
expect from the relationship? Where can
you find a mentor? These are all part of
this large philosophical discussion, so
let’s enter it together.
A mentor is defined as someone who
shares their knowledge, skill and
experience to grow another person.
Although it can be a commercial
relationship, it doesn’t have to be.
I’ve been a mentor to a significant
number of people and it’s been one of
the most incredible opportunities I’ve
had in life. I can share that some of the
relationships were short and precise,
while others have lasted years, and they
have helped me become a better person
just as much as I hope they’ve helped
the people I’ve mentored.
At its core, mentoring is a relationship
anchored deeply in trust and it can cover
anything the party being mentored
requires.
The relationship is intended to uplift,
encourage, inspire and guide, with the
desire for growth in many areas being at
its foundation. It can also challenge and
caution when that’s needed.
Not only is trust required, respect is
also essential given it’s hard to listen
to someone who says one thing whilst
doing another or who doesn’t have more
than a scraping of knowledge in the field
that the mentee wants assistance in.
I’ve had, and still have, world-class
mentors.
Thank you, Burt, Paul, Sarah, John and
Cam.
They have always uplifted me. I’ve learnt
remarkable things about my profession,
the world and myself, and I’ve also
been pulled into line when the moment
required it!
I pay them enormous gratitude and
respect, and it’s important that the
values you all have are congruent and
aligned.
There are said to be three types of
mentoring.
Firstly, one on one. For many, this is the
favoured kind of space for imparting and
gaining knowledge. It also safeguards
confidentiality, which all mentoring
requires, and there’s something special
about being one on one with someone
given the busy lives most of us lead.
As an aside, this would always be my
preference because it means I can focus
more intently on the person and the job
at hand.
Other mentoring can be conducted at a
distance, invariably online, and here the
mentor needs to ensure that they test
and troubleshoot all devices.
There’s nothing worse than being deep
in conversation and then to have a
technical issue. It reduces time and
confidence, and given I’m useless at
technical rescues I tend to avoid this
method. There’s also a reduction in
some of the clues you get when you are
in a personal one on one and potentially
the emotional connection that comes
with mentoring.
Thirdly, there are group sessions, which
can work for those who learn best in a
collective and collaborative way, though
it can be noisy and you have to be weary
of big talkers versus those that never
talk. It can be tricky. A mentor in this
space needs to have the skills to bring
the best out in everyone whilst having
great processes for following up.
So, what haven’t we covered? How
about where to find a mentor?
It could be a matter of going online to
search and there’s an extensive number
of companies and individuals available
all at varying price points. There’s word
of mouth or recommendations, and
there’s also the shoulder-tapping of
friends or people you admire and trust.
I’ve tended to work with people as a
mentee from that perspective and I’ve
never been let down.
So, there you have it. Is it something
you want to embrace or consider? If
so, I know you’ll find it, as I have, life
changing.
Lynette McFadden
Harcourts gold Business Owner
027 432 0447
lynette.mcfadden@harcourtsgold.co.nz
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