Ngozi Adebiyi’s Business Nuggets: Mind Your Mentor

2017 is finally here! We all embrace the New Year with renewed gusto, laudable plans and lofty goals.
Most people’s gameplan include searching for and consolidating business, career and personal plans. A mentor also makes it way up the priority list for individuals looking to grow in business and career. Mind your mentor comes as a caveat emptor (buyer beware) call.

There are always good reviews for the mentoring process in business but it always isn’t so rosy.
Now the focus is not on the mentoring process in itself but the effect the mentor has on one who isn’t being mindful.

Because you’re open and vulnerable to mentors there is the part they play that goes beyond just what they say to you like growing in the same trajectory their careers have grown as they guide you through phases of life and business.
There’s an effect they have on you beyond what they mentor you on as you grow in admiration of them. Some mentees have been seen to start growing their hair and beards, dressing in similar style and extreme cases of sounding like their mentors. The mentor’s impact starts to grow on the mentee as they seek guidance and direction.

The call to action is to pick your mentor wisely and search deep for values and personal attributes that can also be emulated not just the glossy, flashy surface of their business and career life.
Be mindful of not letting aspects that have formed them define what values you adhere to in life.
Mentors have a strong influence in your decisions but should not define institutionalised values or become roadmaps and guiding lights to key areas of your life and lifestyle.

Key questions to ask yourself:

1. What truly draws them to you?

2. What other conversations are they mentoring you about your personal life which you’re allowing taint the very core or your being? You’ll wake up five years from now and rationalise these matters.

3. What have they sacrificed along the way? Might that be your path?

4. Is their mentoring you supposed to be just seasonal and you’re looking to make it a lifetime task for them?
5. Might you have outgrown them by crossing into another space which they are unable and equipped to take you forward? Why hang on?
6. Have you considered how some of their values that border on being warped have sort of become “normal” to you since they influence you in other key areas of life?

In Nigerian parlance, there’s a popular adage which is “mind yourself is not an abuse”. In this case, “mind your mentor is not an abuse” – it’s a call to action to check if the inner recesses of their calling and values are aligned with what you look for in someone who provides guidance and direction.

Ensure you’re drawing from one who provides the right balance, points you directionally and guides the inner man/woman authentically.

Iron sharpens iron. Ensure you’re with iron not brass or an iron exterior with brass interiors and values then focus on getting sharpened in 2017!

Photo Credit: Rmarmion | Dreamstime.com