Submitted by: Jerald Horner, Chief Information Officer
This year is my first experience with the TEAM Up Mentor Program. At first I was reluctant to sign up as a mentor because it felt a bit egotistical that I could have something to offer. If anything, I should be a mentee! As it turns out, as a mentor you become a mentee as well. The interactions are to help the mentee, but the mentor learns a lot about themselves and others through those conversations.
The program also doesn’t have to be an exclusive one-on-one experience. I shaped it into a broader experience for my mentee. I pulled in experienced members of my staff to help her get a wider perspective and different views on her career and career potential. I think it is enlightening for some to realize there are endless management styles and culture building opportunities, and that there isn’t “one right answer.” I hope my mentee realizes that buzz words and frameworks are ideas, not absolutes, and that she develops a sense of entrepreneurship and the ability to react and succeed through both creative and critical thinking.
Succinctly, the program is rewarding and is something we should all consider participating in.