Pretty much. And people I did mentor wandered off after like 2-3 sessions (into which I put a ton of time), or they got a lot better during a project we worked on together, went off to do other projects, and a year later, I was correcting the exact same mistakes.
As a mentor, you have to be really selective about your mentees (unless it's part of your job of course).
I can do it during work hours, but not really outside that. Or I dunno, maybe young people wouldn't mind doing mentoring sessions after 8:30pm and that would be a more enriching way for me to unwind than zoning out with an ever-diminishing number of interesting TV shows?
As a person who has mentored people and is currently a mentor, I can name a number of reasons-
* to contribute to my company/community
* to make myself a multiplier (I can do work or I can help 5 junior engineers be a little better at their work)
* to learn myself (a great way to learn is by teaching)
* to grow my breadth of knowledge (I hear about what other people are doing)
* to grow my network
* to improve my leadership/managerial skills
* because people have invested time and mentorship in me
Exactly. The guy makes it sound like good mentors ( which he strangely calls 'personal teachers' ) are hanging around every street corner waiting for someone to procure their services.
It's strange to see the obvious so heavily upvoted. Really? Nobody knew that a good mentor is worth his weight in gold?
As a mentor, you have to be really selective about your mentees (unless it's part of your job of course).