What does the word community mean to you? We live, work and play in communities. The definition of a community is a feeling of fellowship with others…sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. In the workplace, the community is often referred to as the culture of a work environment. We all strive for success, and success means different things to everyone. Some think that being successful means to be independently wealthy, others feel successful when they build a business from the ground up. Some feel that success is living a good, meaningful life and finding joy and happiness along the way.
One of the secrets any successful person will tell you is to get yourself, good mentors. George Lucas said “Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It is the only way we grow.”
Mentors do the following:
- Provide information and knowledge.
- Help us see where we need to improve.
- Help us find ways to stimulate personal and professional growth.
- Offer encouragement and keep us going.
- Disciplinarians create necessary boundaries such as clarifying priorities.
- Sounding boards so can we bounce ideas off them for an unfiltered opinion.
- Mentors are trusted, advisers.
- Mentors can be connectors sharing their networks.
Mentors can be family, friends, co-workers, supervisors and even individuals from outside your industry. You might ask yourself where do you find these mentors? This is where the chamber of commerce can help you. Attending networking events, Business After Hours, Luncheons and other events all provide you with the opportunity to meet new people.
A mentor’s role is to coach you and help you see things from a different perspective. They are the cheerleaders, sometimes they need to steer you in a different direction. They also celebrate with you the rewards along the way. The best mentors are great listeners, they understand the challenges and offer different strategies and ideas to help us overcome obstacles and excel. Be sure to seek good mentors for yourself as well as be a mentor to others.
By: Cheryl Viola, Executive Director
“Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like.
It is the only way we grow.”
George Lucas
Movie Maker