How many people feel you are experts in communication? How many people would like to expand their network? How many of you feel there is always more to learn?
The most sure fire way to grow in these areas is to mentor someone else. 71% of fortune 500 companies have mentorship programs, that’s a powerful correlation between success and mentoring.
Mentoring is a process where you share your expertise with someone who has less experience in a particular area than you, that might be someone who is new in a rapidly growing NYC group for example. It’s a process where you show someone with less experience the ropes, help them set goals and support them in moving through any resistance they may have to new activities through accountability. It’s an opportunity for the mentor to hold themselves to a higher standard as well. When we mentor, we become better at what we are teaching and hold ourselves to a higher standard in the process.
I started practicing a martial art strictly for my own benefit over 30 years ago. A few years ago my teacher asked me to help him out by teaching, which given that he is a Grand Master with over 60 dojos is actually quite an honor. My initial reaction- never spoken- was I don’t have time, this will cut down on my practice, what a burden….I accepted anyway. Over time I learned my art so much better, I started to communicate even more clearly, considering how my words and actions are heard, and I saw other people’s lives and mine change as a result.
The cost of turnover in any organization is high. Building trust takes time, and when faces change we basically have to start all over again, By teaching new members how to be successful, we insure less work and more success for the group and ourselves.Mentors not only grow from the experience, but they insure that there is retention in their organization, that new members learn the ropes faster and have greater success and so uplift the group as a whole, and both mentors and mentees are guaranteed greater satisfaction in their member organization.
In the elevate group, We do some mentoring through our power spheres, these are meetings where individuals share what is working for them, set goals and have some degree of accountability. We also do it in our quarterly review meetings- I’ve gotten some great advice in mine. What if we all raised the bar a little higher and took a new member under our wings?
