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In his book How to Talk Well, author James F Bender shares the following story:
There was an Indiana farmer famous for growing the finest corn in the valley. Year after year, his corn won the blue ribbon at the State Fair for “Best Corn.” One day, an enterprising reporter made an interesting discovery while interviewing the farmer – he learned that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. Stunned, the reporter asked, “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” To which the farmer replied, “Why, sir, don’t you know the wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field? If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.” In mentoring, we share our best knowledge, experiences, and insights to enrich others, helping them grow stronger. As the farmer demonstrated, doing so doesn’t threaten our success but sharpens and strengthens us. If the farmer had hoarded his best seeds, cross-pollination would weaken his corn. Similarly, if we hoard wisdom, we not only limit our potential, but we also threaten the caliber of our team and organization. Leaders regularly ask me about the return on investment (ROI) of mentoring – can I help them justify the costs associated with launching a formal mentoring program? And of course, I have a slew of literature, metrics, and results that point to the indelible impact of mentoring. But shouldn’t we also be considering CONI – the cost of not investing? Because the cross-pollination of unmentored team members leaves its own lasting mark. As the farmer noted, inferior corn outlasts a single season, thereby undermining future crops. Mentees are a reflection of our investment in their success. Only when they thrive can we possibly win “Best Corn.” © 2025. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved. |