WHAT HOLDS PEOPLE BACK FROM MENTORSHIP

Telephone conversation between two friends

Mayowa: Emeka, how are you? I was at your place yesterday, you were not around.

Emeka: I’m fine. Sorry about that, I had a quick meeting with Dr. Kalu, my mentor.

Mayowa: (scoffs) you and all this mentoring things, abeg I’m not cut out for it, besides I don’t believe in it. I have an incoming call, we will talk later. Bye.

                     End of telephone conversation.

The concept of mentoring is not an alien one, at one point or the other, one would have come cross the word. But due to some reasons, many still do not have a mentor. Just like Mayowa, a lot of people regard mentoring as just another trend, or one of those things. This school of thought is not only held by potential mentees, but also by people who have the ability to become mentors or mentor-leaders.

In an online survey carried out by Thementormorphosis- Thementormorphosis mentorship survey– out of 100% who are informed about mentoring and what it is about, 31.2% of them do not have a mentor. This might seem like a small fraction of those who took part in the survey, but considering the benefits of mentoring, it is a large number. So the question is “why would anyone not want to jump on the mentoring train?”

It is not uncommon to hear people say mentoring is a trend, or “it is just one of those things, it will come and go”, I even have a friend who calls mentors “aspire to inspire people” as funny as this sounds, they are wrong. Mentoring is not a “trend” or “one of those things”, it has been inexistence for as far back as the 5^th century in the time of Socrates. In fact, Socrates mentored Plato, who in turn mentored Aristotle. For as long as people seek knowledge, there will always be mentors, who are willing to share their knowledge.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

There is also this misconception about mentoring being for the people in the corporate or professional fields. Mentoring is for everyone who wants to excel in whichever field, across various spheres of life. If you are a trader, and you are not the best in your business, look for the best and learn from them. Most leaders are more than willing to share from their wealth of knowledge. Even if you are a homemaker, you can be mentored on how to be better at it. Do not let anything hold you back.

For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Proverbs 8:11

Another factor that holds people back from mentoring is the “unavailability of mentors”, or at least that is how they put it. Mentors do not always come in sharp suits, or in beautiful offices. Most times, they are the people we already know. Look around, you will find them.

It is imperative to understand that, it is not the mentorship itself that helps you achieve greatness, but the commitment to achieve it. Having a mentor helps you put things in perspective, knowing you are not only accountable to yourself, but to someone else, drives you. Mentorship also saves you a lot of time, it helps you to work smarter rather than harder, “How?” you ask. A mentor is more experienced, he/she has gone through the phase you are currently going through, they have made the mistakes, and gotten the victories. They will not allow you make the same mistakes. Isn’t that wonderful?

Please take part in the Thementormorphosis mentorship survey, it will not take much of your time( https://bit.ly/3cM19EJ ) Thank you.