A mentor is a confidant, a role model and a thinking partner. She’s there to share the wisdom of her experience, challenge my thinking and help me see my blind spots. A manager picks the best people, is focused on opportunities, not problems, and is relentless about being on the same side as the customer. She’s there to help channel my priorities, assist in serving my customer and perhaps most importantly, inspires me to capitalize on my unique abilities.
At age 22, and having spent two years in financial sales, I accepted my first management responsibilities, and more than anything, the one thing that I remember from that moment was the General Manager saying to me that ‘this job doesn’t come with an instruction manual’. I didn’t know what to make of that comment, but I quickly realized that in the hyper competitive world of finance; sharing wasn’t a common occurrence; it was feast or famine.
I’m convinced that’s why I’m more inspired than ever by the work that we do at 33voices at its essence, we’re creating the world’s largest mentor network. Years ago, when I read the first edition of Chip Bell and Marshall Goldsmith‘s book, Managers as Mentors, I understood what the most effective mentors do; here’s a glimpse: