Making Time for Mentoring

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I saw this article entitled "Yes, you do have time to mentor" authored by Laura Vanderkam and published by FastCompany which I just had to share because I agree with all of it's points (except for one - mentioned in a bit). That one exception aside the main message of the article is a truth for me. It goes on to make some excellent suggestions on how to fit mentoring into a busy schedule.

The scheduling tips from the article are listed below but I strongly encourage you to read the short article for additional, important context:

1. GO AHEAD, PLAY FAVORITES.
2. SET YOUR PRIORITIES AND STICK TO THEM.
3. MENTOR AS YOU MANAGE.
4. BE ACCESSIBLE.
5. MAXIMIZE ON YOUR TRAVEL TIME.
6. BE A HOST.

Tip #3 "Mentor as you manage" goes on to state: "Hopefully, many people you want to mentor are, in fact, your direct reports". That's the one area where I diverge a bit from the article. Certainly a manager should always find ways to coach and enhance their employees' skills and overall career prospects. And I do recognize that management, coaching and mentoring overlap a lot. It is a recommendation though not to have your manager as a mentor because as a mentee you want to be as free as possible to speak your mind - sometimes about your manager. That could prove difficult when your mentor/manager also does your review and salary adjustment at year's end.

Go ahead and use these tips to fit mentoring into your life in some way. The activity benefits everyone involved. I'd like to leave you with my favorite phrase in the article:

"Mentoring is not a charitable act".