“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
I recall the first time I was given the opportunity to train a new hire. It felt like I was being recognized by my supervisor to be given the responsibility to onboard my new coworker. I quickly realized that I had a lot more knowledge and experience than I had given myself credit for. Teaching someone else forced me to think more deeply about the work I was doing and helped me identify areas where I could improve my own skills.
It was an incredibly rewarding experience to watch my protégé grow and develop under my guidance. Not only did I gain a better understanding of my own abilities, but I also developed valuable leadership skills and a sense of pride in being able to provide value to others.
Reasons to be a mentor:
- Helps identify what you know: Teaching someone else helps you to identify what knowledge and skills you possess. It can also reveal gaps in your understanding and prompt you to continue learning.
- Help understand what you don’t know: In the same vein, being a mentor can help you identify what you don’t know. You may find yourself researching and learning to be better equipped to teach your protégé.
- Learn to answer questions about the process: Being a mentor means being able to guide someone through a process or task. This requires a deeper understanding and mastery of the subject matter.
- Leadership skills: Mentoring others can help you develop important leadership skills such as communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. These skills can be transferred to other areas of your life such as work, family, or community involvement.
- Providing value to the world: By sharing your knowledge and expertise with someone else, you are providing value to the world. You are helping to create a cycle of learning and growth that can benefit countless others.
- Confidence boost: Being a mentor can be a confidence boost. It helps you to realize your own abilities and knowledge. It also gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment knowing that you are making a positive impact on someone else’s life.
Are you ready to take your personal development to the next level? Visit my 12 week accountability coaching program to learn more about how mentoring others can help you grow and achieve your goals.