| I started today with quarantine-fatigue, webinar-fatigue, Zoom/Teams/Webex-fatigue. I’ve had enough! Even after my workout, shower, and breakfast, I was plodding through my day.
And then my colleague Melissa Crimmins, founder of BuiltHive, called me. I’m on her Advisory Board, and she was seeking a brain-exchange, a need-your-perspective call, a wisdom swap, a quick mentoring conversation.
I jumped at the chance to change the scenery (figuratively!).
Suddenly, I forgot my fatigue. I felt energized – I was making a difference! I was helping someone move forward, and ironically that helped me move forward.
The bonus? I didn’t walk away with action items or another project. I walked away with a sense of accomplishment and some insights for my own work.
Here’s why your mentoring is more important than ever before:
- Loneliness is at an all-time high
- Fear is running rampant
- Transitions, pivots, and cross-skilling are causing imposter syndrome
- Stuck is prevailing over resilience
- Being “non-essential” feels personal
People need you! They’re starved for your fresh perspectives, new ideas, sound advice, teachings, insights, and encouragement!
Easy ways to get started:
- Join the mentoring, connecting, or buddy program at your organization
- Offer to brain exchange with others
- Lead a learning circle around a topic, a book, or a skill
- Organize a roundtable to wisdom swap with peers
- Let your boss and HR know you want to mentor
- Volunteer for a community mentoring program
- Add to your email signature block: “Available to mastermind!”
- Invite LinkedIn connections to brainstorm and share ideas
I promise, you won’t be bombarded. People don’t abuse mentors; they revere them.
“Maybe mentorship is just realizing the humanity in each of us and being there as equals with one another through an uncertain time.” – Alexandar Perez, a mentee at Weill Cornell Medicine. |
