Mentoring at its best
A daunting challenge facing South Africa at present is the
creation of employment. This requires people with either
qualifications or capability to be drawn into the economically
active sector. Most important of all, it requires a commitment
from as many skilled South Africans as possible, to mentor other
people without expectation of a return. How do you develop
people capable of eclectic, creative, visionary and usable
thinking?
The first challenge is that qualifications are not the same as
capability. A certificate or university degree will
theoretically testify to someone?s ability to think at a certain
level. Example: Kwame, the highly personable, formally
well-educated young black man in Donald Trump?s ?The Apprentice?
TV series, was pipped at the post by a seat-of-the-pants
entrepreneurial young man who could make up the script as he
went along. Even though Kwame was American educated, he typified
a certain element in South African business today. He was
described by Trump?s insightful female marketing guru as a ?text
book man.? There can be no greater curse. If it was between the
pages of a marketing manual, or in a Harvard Business Review
article, or in an MBA case-study or syndicate discussion, then
it will be applied almost to the letter. But the ability to
round-trip that information, compare it to a host of other
scenarios and come up with a creative leap that can be applied
to a fluid or volatile marketing demand, is another kind of
ability altogether. It?s a talent which develops with rare
exceptions, only from being joined at the hip of a genuine
mentor.
Not all mentors are genuine. I have experience of some in South
Africa?s multinationals who claim employment equity (EE)
commitment. They?re hellishly good talkers, but backstage, are
racists of note. Their stock modus operandi is to ?set up? young
black executives in their company, and then systematically erode
their status and self-esteem through a series of subtle but
denigrating ?failure? experiences. At the end of which the
pseudo-mentor probably sits back and says, ?See, I told you
?they? wouldn?t be up to it.? This isn?t a theoretical scenario.
The HR director of one of these companies had a literal tantrum
in his office when I accused his executive of complicity and
culpability in this conspiracy-to-fail. In paraphrased
Shakespearean terms I fear he protested too much. There were
other creepies in their woodwork too. Like dictating to staff
how they would complete certain assessment forms so the company
would garner specific awards - nauseating and disgracefully
dishonest. But they make a killing, in literal and metaphoric
terms whilst their black talent revolving door spins apace.
Anglo American Corporation quietly understood the process many
years back. They created the position of ?executive assistant.?
You were joined at the hip with one of the luminaries in the
organization. Perfectly implemented, such a mentoring becomes
(excluding lala-time as we say in Zulu) a 24x7 exercise.
Not only should that young person be with you every business
minute ? regardless of the confidentiality of the situation,
they should go with you to clients, be there when you negotiate,
be there when you assist a staffer in crisis, be there when you
hire or fire someone. They should go to business luncheons, be
taught the finer points of globally acceptable business and
social etiquette, be exposed to the vagaries of cultural
differences. They should go to the theatre and movies with you.
They should learn to play golf or squash or some other
?networking? orientated sport. They should be sponsored to join
a country club so they get to understand how an old-boys or
girls network operates. They should be made to read voraciously
outside of their specific career interest so they become
interesting conversationalists. They need to travel, to see and
experience how the proverbial ?other half? lives.
The genuine mentor is she or he who will allow the one being
mentored to suffer if necessary if that?s the quick route to the
learning. People never truly learn from just theory and
intellectual input. They learn experientially. Teach them to be
utterly and completely honest. Explain the simple distinction
between diplomacy and truth. If you?re in the office and the
person says ?She?s away at a conference today? that?s a blatant
lie. The simple and truthful answer is, ?She?s unfortunately not
available at present. May I take a message?? Got it? There are
no white lies. They?re lies. If you wish to mentor well, leave
behind a legacy in which your prot?g? is committed passionately
to a moral and ethical path personally and professionally. You
will contribute not only to your company and the community but
to the planet.
A final thought for the one being mentored: Please don?t compete
with your mentor. If they?re genuine they?re seeking to have you
grow beyond where they are. Appropriate humility and receptivity
are essential prerequisites, if you?re to benefit.
About the author:
Clive is a marketing and communications strategist and published
book author. His speciality is facilitating sustainable change
in individuals and organizations. Website: www.imbizo.com
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