I remember back when I first entered the industry, I was participating on an Yahoo newsgroup for the multifamily industry, possibly run by Lisa Trosien, and I got into an online discussion with Doug Miller.  I was being brash and probably arrogant with my opinions, and Lisa took the time to share with me how Doug was a respected leader in the industry and I might want to tone it down a bit.  I always look back at that moment as a time where someone mentored me by helping me realize how the way I was coming across to others was not the way I would want to be perceived. 

What I found most important about that story was that I can’t imagine an alternative way I would have learned that critical lesson.  Was I going to learn it by reading a book, attending a class, or paying for a seminar?  I don’t recall seeing a class called, “Brent, you are being a jackass - stop it.”  And this is why mentoring is so very valuable.  Mentoring creates a relationship that fits with the custom needs of the mentoree, guiding them through their specific challenges in their career, and sometimes even beyond their career.  A mentor can assess issues that the mentoree might not even know about.  Or maybe the mentoree has questions but doesn’t feel comfortable asking a superior or trainer.  There are several scenarios where traditional training can never replicate what a mentor can provide.

So why am I talking about mentoring?  We just released our very first Professional Development Research Report (which is free to access), and amazingly, only 25% of people reported having a mentor!  And even of those, almost all were unofficial mentors – only 1% of respondents said they had an “official” mentor.  There is so much opportunity for creating mentorship opportunities that we should be doing more to foster them.

For those of you who have a mentor, or who have mentored others, I would love for you to share how that relationship has impacted your career in the comments below.  Also, Mary Gwyn created a discussion post on mentor programs, as well, so check it out!