[Flash] Path-Pivoting Mentorship (Are You a Ready-Now Mentee?)

1. Go to law school.
2. Move away from home.
3. Live near your mom at the end of her life.

With each piece of mentoring, I pivoted my path: I graduated from law school, I moved from Chicago to San Francisco, and I moved back home to share my mom’s last few years.

Go to Law School
I was captivated by my business law class in high school, but I never considered law as a career path. My mom noticed my interest and suggested, “Women can be lawyers. You can go to law school.” (So I did and I am.)

Move Away from Home
As I graduated from law school, I struggled, searching for the next step. When Michael, a partner at the firm where I interned, shared his experience of moving away from home for a few years, he described it as the “Best thing I ever did.” (So I did and it was.)

Live Near Your Mom at the End of Her Life
While my mom and I have always been extremely close, I never considered moving back home. But then I met Cindy at a conference, and she shared her move home to Buffalo to spend time with her aging mom. Vulnerably, she revealed that her mom had recently passed and how grateful she was for the time they had together. (So I did and so am I.)

Each of these mentoring moments twisted the kaleidoscope for me. Once someone unveiled it through their suggestion or story, the path became a possibility.

The critical part, however, is not the mentoring I received; it’s that I was ready for it. When the words of advice showed up, I recognized them as gems. I was ready to take action.

To be clear, I have received additional kaleidoscope-twisting, path-pivoting advice throughout my life, but I was not a “ready-now Mentee” when that advice presented itself.

What does it mean to be a ready-now Mentee?

• Ready for change (or ready to embrace change that is happening)
• Curiously seeking guidance, ideas, and fresh perspectives
• Open to exploring, experimenting, and discovering
• Willing to be vulnerable and authentic
• Able to receive suggestions as contributions, not condemnations
• Eager to take action, improve, and grow

While it’s good practice to have a goal as you seek mentoring, being ready-now for mentoring is ultimately the game-changing best practice.

© 2024. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved.