A Mentoring Mindset

We don't mentor well in the American workplace. In fact, on the career ladder, most would rather step on the hand of someone on a lower rung rather than reaching down to pull that person up. We also don't want to be mentored as that can be perceived as an admission of incompetence. Our hesitance to embrace mentoring is fueled by competition, selfishness, and insecurity stemming from our human nature; however, mentoring can lead to flourishing for both the mentor and mentee.

This quote has rattled around in my brain for a few years: "Do not live without a mentor; do not die without a disciple." (sorry, I can't remember who said it or where I read it). This quote alludes to the rich life that mentoring can bring. Those who have "lived with a mentor" understand the true blessing that this relationship can be professionally and personally. A true mentor sacrifices his/her time to help you flourish, speaking wisdom with love. 

In many ways, speaking wisdom into someone's life is part of the vocational process. In fact, the term "vocation" (Latin root vocare meaning "to call") demands an outside speaker calling a person into a professional or personal role. In our post-modern world of listening only to our inner voice, we've lost the vital element of wise mentors.

Unfortunately, today, too few of us have experienced deep and rich mentoring. Sadly, this is a two-sided problem with the older generations not wanting to mentor and the younger generations not wanting to be mentored (I'll let the generations debate which is more of the problem). 

Generationally, we are in an interesting position. The Boomer Generation is the "live to work" generation, finding their life purpose in their work; therefore, they do not want to retire. Gen Xers are a "work to live" generation, wanting to retire as soon as possible. Ironically, we now have two generations retiring at the same time. I bet you know of a father (typically a business / company leader) who is retiring around age 80, which is the same time as his children are also considering retiring (age 60). Boomer politicians and professors are also good examples of this ... they don't want to retire, leaving little room for Gen Xers to step into those roles! Let me propose a better way.

The Boomer Generation would be perfect mentors for Millennials (if they both have a mentoring mindset).

Effective mentoring takes a mindset shift from both the mentor and the mentee. Mentors need to sacrifice their time to listen well, ask good questions, and (in the end ... not the beginning) give advice. They also must understand the importance of "failing forward," i.e., personal growth through mistakes made. Those being mentored must enter the relationship with humility and a vulnerability to share their doubts, questions, mistakes and concerns. This also takes a willingness to spend time with those who have walked the path ahead of them, valuing their experience and insight.

Schools should lead the way.

Educators fully understand mentoring, as teaching/learning involves mentoring students, but this doesn't always translate to colleagues. In fact, a "silo" mentality is more often found in schools than a mentoring mindset. 

College education programs are excellent examples with a variety of internships or student teaching opportunities, where the student gets mentored by both education professors and master teachers. Unfortunately, that model doesn't continue. New teachers are often left to sink or swim in the deep end once they accept their first teaching job (this is probably worse for new administrators). A strong mentoring program can provide the floatation devices needed for them to flourish swimmingly. 

The urgency for schools is real. Higher burn-out rates coupled with the reduction of college students pursuing teaching as a career have left schools scrambling to find exceptional teachers and educational leaders. Robust mentoring programs can be used to recruit new (even non-certified) educators, prevent burnout, and encourage retention.

Alternate Pathways

With the job market stagnating (especially in STEM fields), more college graduates may be interested in teaching if there is a pathway and support in place. Most schools have new teacher programs, but often the pace of the day prevents full-time teachers and administrators from having the time to mentor well.

However, retired teachers could be excellent mentors. By some estimates, we have over 2 million retired teachers; if given a structured program, these retired teachers could mentor 2-3 new teachers, providing purpose for the retired educator and encouragement for the new teacher. Learning on the job is already happening in many schools due to teacher shortages, so providing structure around this reality is needed.

Recognizing the teacher shortage, many states are also providing alternative paths to teaching credentials for college graduates and individuals seeking a second career. 

Therefore, if schools have a strong mentoring program, they could begin to address the teacher and administrator shortages that our nation is facing. It would be a worthwhile investment!

More importantly, schools can lead the way to a mentoring mindset shift in other industries that will both honor the experience of the older generation and provide the wisdom needed for the younger generation.