Today's Kindness #405: October 27, 2023
🏅🦸🏼♂️Celebrate Mentoring🦸🏼♂️🏅
Since October 27 is National Mentoring Day, it's the perfect time to think of a mentor that shaped you into who you are today. It's time to celebrate them! National Mentoring Day was created to highlight the importance of mentoring in all forms. Award-winning business mentor Chelsey Baker founded the holiday to focus on how rewarding mentoring can be for everyone involved.
The key message is to raise awareness of the invaluable and rewarding contribution that mentoring makes, which has a huge impact on not only our economy but also our society.
The day aims to encourage interactive discussions, events, and social media activities and facilitate a shared vision and synergies for everyone involved in the industry as well as to showcase the benefits of being a mentor and being mentored. Leading professional mentoring organizations, mentors, key influencers, and thought leaders join together to celebrate the work mentors do to support individuals and businesses.
National Mentoring Day focuses on sharing experiences and paying tribute to mentors received or given. Baker encourages everyone to show their appreciation for mentoring and to recognize mentors who have made a difference.
Author Anthony K. Tjan, writing in the "Harvard Business Review," recently noted four ways to become a successful mentor:
- Put the relationship before the mentorship.
- Focus on character rather than competency.
- Shout loudly with your optimism, and keep quiet with your cynicism.
- Be more loyal to your mentee than you are to your company.
Finally, he adds, "The best mentors avoid overriding the dreams of their mentees."
How To Observe:
Send a thank you note
If a name comes to mind when you think of a mentor from your past, write them a thank you card. Not only is it a kind gesture to show you appreciate their help, but it serves as a reminder of the impact mentors have on their mentees. You can find free 'Thank Your Mentor' cards on National Mentoring Day's website.
Become a mentor
Share the importance of mentoring by becoming part of the mentor community. Get in touch with local businesses, schools, and universities to see how you can make a difference for someone in need. One great local source is MENTOR Colorado and Pueblo United Way
Create a mentoring event
If you're already a mentor or know of a program, help create an event to celebrate the results of mentoring. It can be a social media campaign sharing mentoring stories with a hashtag or setting up a meeting to share tips on successful practices.
"A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you."
~ Bob Proctor