*** Disclaimer: This isn’t about my current employer. It is about all companies everywhere. ***
I’ve worked at several places that say they encourage mentoring and demonstrate it by having an “open door policy” for upper management. In my experience, most folks don’t really mean it. If you don’t believe me, I’ll be a little un-kind, and dare you to give it a try, a couple of times. What happens next is, your boss wants to know why you are spending time talking to his boss (etc), what did you talk about, and why you didn’t talk to him first? etc. I think you’ll find that it gets you a lot of conflict, and little else. Maybe it can be a real learning moment, for you. š
I’m sure that most senior managers & VPs are not actually offering “open door policies” because they are intentionally trying to set a trap for noobs who don’t know better. But that seems to be the net effect.
When I hear a VP (etc) lecturing a department about how folks should be mentoring people, it seems to ring the same Pavlovian bell for me. In my experience, mentoring & growing folks only (actually) works if it comes top-down.
Value of Time
Imagine for a moment, I reach up to a senior manager for some advice, or just getting-to-know me, or whatever. What are the chances that I will pick a convenient time? After-all, senior managers’ time is valuable. Arguably more valuable than mine. So if I’m taking their time, I better have some darned-important stuff to say, and I better be succinct. Conversely, imagine if one of them reaches out to me. It will be at their leisure, and when a VP wants to talk, any/all times are good for me/you. (If y’know what I’m sayin’)
Even more than that. When a VP or Sr manager, etc reaches-out to you, it is a pretty good indication about how much someone “values” you (or maybe not, I guess). It demonstrates “what constitutes a good investment” of time. More specifically, who is a good investment, and how much.
The opposite applies as well. If a VP only talks to four or five people, then those are the only ones who matter. Forget how much potential you think you may have, if you aren’t worth their time, then that is what you are worth. Maybe you’re only worth a paycheck. I’m sure you are worth more than that, but you are either worth-someone’s time & effort, or you aren’t.
I believe that any manager/leader who doesn’t take their own time to mentor (or just talk with folks) and make it a priority, either doesn’tĀ have prioritiesĀ in-order, or deep-inside just doesn’t believe-in mentoring or growth. And if he thinks “mentoring is somebody else’s job”, then double what I just said.
Point a finger, Three pointing back?
Ahem. Sorry. I got a little roasty there for a second. As you may have noticed, I’m pretty passionate about this topic. I can tell you 100% I walk that walk, and live by those words. I firmly believe-in mentoring folks, and I believe it is one of the best things that you can do for another human being.
I believe my career wouldn’t have made half of its progress, had it not been for the valuable mentoring that I received in my life and in my career. I am grateful for every moment of it and feel deeply obligated to pay it forward anytime the opportunity presents itself. I would encourage the same to anyone who possesses good advice or has experienced success in his/her career.
Look for opportunities to mentor folks. Be patient, be generous and pay it forward. Be the change.
Aah, the pain of being an elitist 