Mentoring Tuesday
About three years ago, I decided that I would ask one of the Directors at the place I work to be my mentor. I approached his secretary and asked her to put the question forward on my behalf. Days rolled into weeks, and weeks into months and the secretary still hadn't asked the question for me. So I decided to take the task into my own hands. At a convenient time, I approached the Director and popped the question,. He was absolutely delighted, but insisted that he would only mentor me once a year; and as they say, the rest is history. On tuesday, I meet up with him for my second mentoring session with him. Actually, I messed out meeting for the day up. I assumed that our meeting [as I recall from the reminder in my dairy] was for 3.30PM. When I went up at 3.20PM to see his secretary, she looked at me with surprise and said she thought I was already with the Director in his office. Oh dear I said to myself, thats me doomed. Anyway I asked the secretary to apologise to him and try and pen me in for another day. Just as I got to my desk, my phone starts ringing. It is the secretary. She says the Director would like to see me ASAP for our meeting. I silently said a pray of thanks to God and rushed back up for my meeting.
Our meeting started off with me updating my mentor with what I have been up to since our lasting meeting. I then went to inform him that I was concentrating my efforts on Project Management and attaining a certification in Network Security. With regards to Project Management, I said I had identified certain people within the company whom I had approached for help, however I was concerned about the frequency I can approach these people to remind them of my plight. The good thing is that I have made that first move towards seeking assistance; my problem, which I mentioned was how much the people I have approached be willing to assist me. Mentor: do not assume that the help you have asked for will be forthcoming. Me: why? Mentor: [1] people like to make you think that they want to help, but will not. [2] people are afraid of you progressing further than they can if they help you. [3] your immediate contact might not be in the best position to help, whereby, you will need to speak to the person who is above your contact for help. [4] your contact might be too busy, even though they give you the impression that they want to help. Everyone is not forthcoming in telling you what is black and white.
Finally, I sort some advice from my mentor regarding a pressing issue. Over the course of my IT career, I have acquired a code set of friends whom I constantly keep in touch with. Now I have noticed that most of these friends tend to get high paying contracts, whiles I am stuck with the measely hourly rate. Whenever I see these friends of mine, it is immediately obvious that they are doing well for themselves financially. Obviously, being the human being that I am, I tend to dip into this "sense" of being low. It does not last long, as I always tend to snap out of it. Mentor: Value what you have.