The document discusses the benefits of mentoring for both mentees and mentors. It describes an interaction where a man named Bob proudly recounts how he mentored a struggling young worker who is now running his own successful business. While mentees gain knowledge and skills, mentors also feel a sense of fulfillment and pride in seeing their mentees succeed. The document advocates for organizations to provide opportunities for experienced workers to mentor others and pass on their expertise, as this can boost job satisfaction for senior employees.

1.
Investing
in
the
Future-­‐
Mentoring
success
Recently
I
was
in
Home
Depot
browsing
the
tool
department
admiring
the
latest
offerings
from
Makita,
Dewalt
and
Milwaukie.
I
was
not
alone
as
other
guys
were
doing
the
same
thing
with
a
healthy
amount
of
“networking”
going
on
at
the
same
time.
As
I
was
standing
beside
the
impact
drivers
I
happened
to
overhear
the
two
guys
talking
beside
me.
One
guy
was
super
animated.
Looking
to
be
in
his
late
40s,
he
was
visibly
excited
and
speaking
loudly.
I
couldn’t
help
overhearing
parts
of
their
conversation.
When
he
mentioned
the
word
“mentoring”
I
stopped
squeezing
the
drivers
trigger
and
politely
asked
if
I
could
join
their
conversation.
“I
work
with
mentor’s”
I
said,
“I
couldn’t
help
overhearing
you
speaking
about
being
a
mentor.”
The
guy’s
buddy
interjected
and
said,
“
My
friend
here
has
helped
lots
of
young
workers.
He
was
telling
me
about
a
young
guy
that
we
both
knew.
The
young
guy
was
a
bit
of
a
misfit.
Didn’t
really
fit
in.
Could
barely
nail
two
pieces
of
wood
together.
Now
Bob
here
has
told
me
that
this
young
guy
is
running
his
own
crew-­‐
never
would
have
thought
he
could
do
that-­‐amazing
really”
The
mentor,
Bob,
added
that
the
young
guy
had
phoned
him
out
of
the
blue
and
thanked
him
for
helping
him
get
his
life
together.
“He
told
me
that
I
changed
his
life,
he
now
has
a
family
and
a
successful
business.
He
told
me
that
he
owes
it
all
to
me
and
my
lessons
and
if
there
is
anything
that
he
could
do
for
me.
He
was
super
thankful.
I
told
him
that
it
was
him-­‐
always
saw
his
potential.”
Bob
beamed
at
me.
Bob’s
friend
smiled
too.
The
pride
that
Bob
had
was
visible.
We
often
speak
of
the
benefits
of
being
mentored.
We
talk
of
how
the
mentees
gain
knowledge
and
wisdom
from
their
mentors.
We
speak
of
succession
planning
and
knowledge
transfer.
Often
what
we
miss
however
is
the
benefit
to
the
mentors.
Strong
mentors
often
relate
to
having
a
feeling
of
fulfillment,
confidence
and
achievement
connected
to
a
successful
mentorship.
Mentors
obtain
a
sense
of
pride
knowing
that
they
have
made
a
positive
difference.
When
this
success
is
coupled
with
the
recognition
and
support
of
an
organization
the
benefits
are
tangible.
With
many
experienced
or
mature
workers
the
overall
job
satisfaction
can
diminish
with
time.
The
knowledge
that
the
job
tasks
are
complete
does
not
hold
the
same
satisfaction
that
it
did
when
we
were
learning
new
skills
and
developing
mastery.
I
often
hear
the
experienced
workers
talking
about
becoming
a
teacher
or
instructor.

2.
They
have
this
vast
store
of
knowledge,
this
vat
of
wisdom
locked
away
without
a
table
to
place
it
on
and
unable
to
share.
The
legacy
of
their
mentors
and
teachers
and
the
promise
to
them
to
pay
it
forward
remains
unrealized
unless
the
opportunity
to
share
is
available.
Often
when
we
mentor
new
and
young
workers
we
don’t
get
to
see
the
fruits
of
our
labour
immediately
Sometimes
if
we
are
fortunate,
like
Bob,
we
will
hear
back
from
our
mentees.
Hear
about
their
success
and
their
future.
Have
you
ever
had
someone
tell
you
that
they
have
grown
from
knowing
you?
Have
you
ever
been
a
coach,
friend
or
mentor
to
someone
and
had
them
contact
you
later
and
express
their
gratitude?
Maybe
you
have
had
an
influencer
and
mentor
in
your
life-­‐
someone
who
made
a
difference.
If
you
could
contact
them
today
what
would
you
say
to
them?
What
techniques
did
they
use
to
help
you
and
are
they
similar
to
the
methods
in
use
today?
Potential
mentors
can
have
the
skill
and
knowledge
but
not
the
teaching
knowhow.
To
bring
out
the
best
in
your
trainers
it
is
important
to
realize
that
they
may
need
some
further
mentoring.
Instead
of
just
matching
an
experienced
and
less
experienced
worker
together
it
is
important
to
keep
the
goal
in
mind-­‐
the
why
behind
the
mentoring.
Investing
in
a
mentor
and
their
wisdom
creates
a
multi
tiered
impact.
The
mentor
feels
validated-­‐
we
have
recognized
his
or
her
contribution.
The
organization
can
celebrate
in
the
success
and
the
less
established
workers
can
see
that
the
company
really
does
invest
in
the
future-­‐
giving
hope
and
goals
for
the
next
generation.
Your
mentors
can
use
the
skill
of
facilitators,
mentor
trainers
and
professional
development
to
help
tease
the
knowledge
from
them
out
towards
your
new
and
young
workers.
The
investment
in
the
mentors
plays
out
with
increased
job
satisfaction,
employee
engagement
and
reduced
turnover.
Strong
mentorship
will
help
the
business
to
benefit
and
prosper.
The
wisdom
passed
on
today
becomes
a
legacy
for
the
future
generation
of
young
workers.