Cultivating a Culture of Mentorship
In this final installment of our mentorship series, we return to the very beginning of the topic of mentorship to answer a very key question: what is the end goal of mentorship?
We could answer this question in many ways, and each of them would be helpful in shedding light on the many things that might motivate us to pursue healthy mentoring relationships. We might, for example, say that the goal of mentorship is to pursue guidance in a particular area. Those who hope to pursue real estate business might seek a mentor who can take them under their wing and show them the best practices for a long and successful career.
Another might answer that the end goal of mentorship is for personal growth. Mentors are likely older than their mentees, and they have had a unique set of life experiences. This gift of experience enables them to speak into the life of a mentee, offering them advice that might help them to overcome the challenges of life and grow as a result.
If you have stuck with us over the course of this series, you’ll notice that I have already dealt with both aspects of mentorship. I would recommend that everyone, no matter their particular expertise or interests, go through the hard yet rewarding work of pursuing mentorship. Whether to gain an edge in your professional field or simply to learn how to live a fulfilling life, finding a mentor (or pouring back into others) is something well worth your time.
But this is not where mentorship ends.
The Aim of Mentorship
This subheading is misleading—it would really be more accurate to say “the aims of mentorship”. The subject of mentorship is like a diamond with many facets, and there are many reasons that a person might want to enter into a mentoring relationship. But if I were to single out one goal that we might propose as the final goal, it is this: we should strive to create a culture of mentorship.
If this seems circular, that’s because it is. Mentorship, when conducted correctly, is not something that runs its course. The person who is seriously committed to mentorship will remain in a mentoring relationship for life. And if all goes well, they will see more and more growth in their life, both in their desired sphere of expertise and in their personal character.
But this experience of enjoying the benefits of mentorship does not have to stop with you. By living in the context of a community, receiving wisdom from mentors and putting it into practice, you are preparing to become a mentor yourself.
Cultivating Mentorship
As you begin to open yourself up to the possibility of mentoring, reaching out to others in your immediate sphere of influence who might have less experience than you do, you just might begin to find yourself in the position of mentoring others. And so the process repeats itself again and again. As you have learned lessons from your mentors and personal lived experience, you will be able to help others the same way that you have been helped. They will experience the benefits of having a mentor, and you will experience the joys of giving back to the communities that have so influenced you.
In a world that often emphasizes self-centeredness, it can be difficult to cultivate this mentality within ourselves. But a life lived only for the self is not a life worth living. By offering your guidance and a listening ear to others, you will grow, and, as a result, the community will grow too. And the best part: this practice of mentorship is infectious. As you begin to mentor others, they will catch a vision for what a culture of mentorship might look like. Though this vision is a circular one, it is a vision that will result in tightly knit communities of people pursuing improvement together. And that, after all, is what mentorship is about.
