How to be a Mentor or a Protégé
| Source: Insight
People make faster progress in their careers if they have mentors, and most successful people say they didn’t make it on their own. Both parties benefit from mentoring. Mentors frequently say they learn from their protégés because the latter ask questions about issues the former have begun to take for granted. And by being open to a protégé’s perspectives, a mentor learns how someone else thinks, and this makes him or her a better professional. Mentors should try to be positive. Constant criticism creates defensiveness. Find things to compliment. But, be honest. If the protégé just isn’t cutting it as a tax accountant, suggest some other areas of endeavor. Mentors should not be the source of all information. They should guide and suggest. Protégés should take ownership of problems. They should become their own selves, not replicas of the mentors. No one should be forced to be a mentor. And those who are interested in being mentors should have some choice of who they mentor. If the mentor and protégé don’t create an affinity, the best course is to end the relationship gracefully. Plante & Moran in Michigan has a program that provides two mentors for each new staff member. One is a “buddy” who helps with the day by day issues, and the other is a partner who helps with professional matters. Prospective protégés should find their own mentors, ones who are good teachers. Mentors and protégés should have well-matched personalities, and there should be an atmosphere of trust. Mentoring isn’t a one-way street. Protégés should give something back to mentors, possibly assistance on projects. Protégés should welcome criticism. They should know that they will get as much out of the process as they put into it. From Insight, The Magazine of the Illinois CPA Society, January/February 2006. For the complete article, click on the following link http://www.icpas.org/hc-insight.aspx?id=250 |