by Dr. Cecil Clements (20th March 2012)
If you’re a cricket fan, Sachin Tendulkar getting his 100th ton would have been a wonderful sight. To acknowledge a feat like that (considering that the closest person to that feat is Ricky Ponting, with 71 centuries and has retired) and to be able to see that was monumental. Somebody said, “It was not the 100th ton but all the 99 others that made this so special. I agree. While the 100th ton took a while in coming and had everybody on tenterhooks; the media did so much in trying to hype the whole thing. For Sachin it was just one more century along the way of attaining dreams and goals that he had. After he finished it, somebody interviewed him and asked him, “Do you have anything to say to all the young people out there?” he replied, “Go after your dreams; they’re attainable.”
I was so happy to hear that because here was an icon, encouraging young people not to give up because of difficulties or circumstances or resources or anything else, but to go after that one life passion that each one of us has.
I’ve been thinking about that the last week – sometimes we so easily give up on dreams. Yet there are people around us who can motivate us to hang on to those dreams; good people who believe in us, who see potential, who see the pearl when it’s not even visible. Looking at my own life, I asked the question: What would motivate me? What are things that I would put in place to ensure that my dreams find the light of day?
I found that I enjoy being around 3 types of people.
If you’re a cricket fan, Sachin Tendulkar getting his 100th ton would have been a wonderful sight. To acknowledge a feat like that (considering that the closest person to that feat is Ricky Ponting, with 71 centuries and has retired) and to be able to see that was monumental. Somebody said, “It was not the 100th ton but all the 99 others that made this so special. I agree. While the 100th ton took a while in coming and had everybody on tenterhooks; the media did so much in trying to hype the whole thing. For Sachin it was just one more century along the way of attaining dreams and goals that he had. After he finished it, somebody interviewed him and asked him, “Do you have anything to say to all the young people out there?” he replied, “Go after your dreams; they’re attainable.”
I was so happy to hear that because here was an icon, encouraging young people not to give up because of difficulties or circumstances or resources or anything else, but to go after that one life passion that each one of us has.
I’ve been thinking about that the last week – sometimes we so easily give up on dreams. Yet there are people around us who can motivate us to hang on to those dreams; good people who believe in us, who see potential, who see the pearl when it’s not even visible. Looking at my own life, I asked the question: What would motivate me? What are things that I would put in place to ensure that my dreams find the light of day?
I found that I enjoy being around 3 types of people.
- I like to be around people who think that nothing is impossible; that it is possible to do things that people around think is impossible.
- I also like being around people who envision things, who dream and not just dream, but are able to act on it and bring thoughts into workable units.
- I also like to hang around people who live lives of integrity, people who have good value systems, who will not compromise, who stand for good values.
It is so important for us to have good people around us. These days, mentoring and coaching is a by-word in corporate circles. It is so important to have a good mentor or coach and also to see whether you would be a good mentor or coach to people around you.
I was reading an article by L. Rose Hollister on ‘The Benefits of Being a Mentor’. She outlines 3 things that I think are so important for those of us who work with people, those of you who are in the corporate world.
I was reading an article by L. Rose Hollister on ‘The Benefits of Being a Mentor’. She outlines 3 things that I think are so important for those of us who work with people, those of you who are in the corporate world.
- It enhances your own skills while you mentor other people. It also works on your ability to manage people who are different from you. You learn so much in being able to mentor other people. Knowing that you are mentoring makes you set a good example to your protégé, the people that you are mentoring.
- It develops and retains talent in your own organization. It’s so important to develop and train good employees. Today there may be an attrition rate, people move. Loyalty is a thing of the past. But it’s so important to seek good people and make sure that you keep them. It helps to address issues of succession planning and retention.
- It creates a legacy. Not only does it gain the satisfaction of helping to build future management talent, but the knowledge that you foster in your protégé can inspire new ideas for generations to come. So your legacy keeps going. Your values are input into somebody else and that in turn, continues to go down through generations.
So I thought that it might be good for me to challenge you today as you look at yourself. Sometimes we get very inward-focused and look to see people who can input into us and shape us. Maybe today would be a good day to turn around and say, “Who is a good person that I can mentor? Who is somebody who is not yet in bloom; is a bud today. But if I can input into this person, I can help that process along.
Another good article that I read came from the Harvard Business Review entitled ‘Demystifying Mentoring’ by Amy Gallo. She says that there are a couple of principles to remember while mentoring – dos and don’ts.
DO:
Another good article that I read came from the Harvard Business Review entitled ‘Demystifying Mentoring’ by Amy Gallo. She says that there are a couple of principles to remember while mentoring – dos and don’ts.
DO:
- Build a cadre of people you can turn to for advice when you need it. It’s so important for you to have people around you whom you can turn to for advice.
- Nurture relationships with people whose perspectives you respect. Find people who you respect, who you think the world of, who have impressed you with their vision, their ability to get things done, their values – and nurture relationships with them.
- Think of mentoring as both a long-term and short-term arrangement. It doesn’t mean that you stick with one person, but look at different people who can input into your life.
DON'T:
- Assume that because you are successful or experienced in your field that you don’t need a mentor. That would be a terrible mistake to make.
- Rely on one person to help guide you in your career.
- Expect to receive mentoring without providing anything in return. It has to be a 2-way street. You need to think that you can bring a lot to the table as well.
So as I leave you with these thoughts, I hope that you would think just a little differently. Think about dreams. Look at your own life or people around you who have dreams – see that spark in their eyes and you say, “Maybe I was once like that. Maybe I can input into this person and help them develop their dreams.” Maybe you have a burning desire to do something and you need to find people around you who can help that process.
Wherever you find yourself, I hope that today’s talk will help you decide to do something about it. Don’t let an opportunity go by; don’t let a day go by when you don’t do something about something that you are passionate about.
God Bless Us All.
Wherever you find yourself, I hope that today’s talk will help you decide to do something about it. Don’t let an opportunity go by; don’t let a day go by when you don’t do something about something that you are passionate about.
God Bless Us All.
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