The confusion prevailing over mentoring and mentors

Yes, I know it's been a while I reached out to you all! It's been looooong since you all happened to read my posts. Sorry! It's been a one off unfortunate exception that's happened in the last 8-9 years of my blogging.

Read my old posts from my previous blog, here!

Well I thought I wanted to give some clarity on the prevailing confusion of mentors & mentoring.

In this era of social media, we see a lot of words, catchy and start using them, not knowing the meaning of them. We're not even clever enough to look up on Google for an answer.

So back to mentoring, it's a very highly commendable and reputed position, mind you, I'm not referring it as a profession, although it can be, it needn't be always. Such a reputed position is held by very revered, well knowledgeable personality over flowing with the rich experience they have gained and continue to accumulate.

These mentors don't go on mentor every Tom, Dick and Harry. They do so to the ones who are truly deserving, and in those whom they believe possess a shared vision or cause or calling.

Just because someone knows something more than the average person, doesn't really mean that they qualify to be a mentor.

The world is full of ignorance living in a lot of us, and the slightly better person might look too great. We fail to see a mentor in a Kalam, Einstein, Musk or Jobs because, we can't really think big.

So we go on to consider the slightly more than average person as a mentor. And it's very unfortunate that, the wrongly chosen mentor takes immense pride in being one, cos you see, even they can't really think big.

The bottom line is that, mentoring is a highly reputed and a responsible position (not profession always). The next time someone calls you a mentor, please remember this post and do justice by telling them you are actually not. Of course be willing to help and share information and insights. Just don't let it take that to your head, if you realise what I mean.

Love,

Organizational Responsibility

I work in an organization where Team Outings are encouraged and we have a budget allocations for it. The most important clause and my personal favorite is that, reimbursements on liquor and cigarettes will not be encouraged and settled. I strongly believe that such ethical restrictions have an impact on individual behavior too.

I was part of the steering committee for a day's trip for my team and we obliged to the limitations set by my firm, not a penny was spent on alcohol or cigarettes. When one of my friend surveyed couple of my team mates if the outing didn't satisfy them as alcohol was not included, my team mate had replied, "I can access alcohol anywhere and anytime, since this is an official gathering, it's OK that I can sacrifice."

I felt that having such restrictions on organizational policy does in fact has its influence. The morality is instilled and a discipline is driven among employees.

Pity, I hear from my friends from other firms who work in stressful environment that their firms take them to pubs and officially sponsor alcohol. I've known people who've never taken alcohol before are subject to social pressure and influence and start their trials with alcohol and cigarettes.

While work place colleagues or friends can take their time and money out of their own will and go partying is not a matter of concern, organizations sponsoring and encouraging dark activities and late night events and booking rooms in hotel for one night stays for their employees are a major cause of concern.

Man is a social animal who had for a reason institutionalized marriages and practices monogamy. Why are we reversing the situation, and what more can be more toxic than organizations that are turning as brothel houses!

There are ways to deal with stress and organizations need to have stronger morality to drive values, like the first instance where an employee can accommodate the absence of alcohol.

Rules are good, for a reason!

Love,