Mentoring programs, including individual, group, cross-cultural, reverse, and language mentoring, all revolve around the importance of learning from diversity. Research shows that mentoring is one of the most effective ways of engaging diversity, learning to shift perspectives, learning more about ourselves, and developing the skill-set we all need to excel in a diverse, global environment.
Typically, formal mentoring is what gets our attention as professionals. Formal in the sense that it is structured, there is a game plan, and specific rules to follow. Moreover, we tend to think of mentoring as a top-down relationship; mentors are older, more powerful and connected, supposedly wiser, and better able to show us the “lay of the land” and open up opportunities. Reverse mentoring, in which the younger generation schools the older generation on technology and social media, is so-called because of the hierarchy in our minds, a chain of command that makes us assume older people are more knowledgeable than younger people, or people with titles somehow know more than folks who are invisible to many of us.
Mentoring is that much more valuable when the social and cultural distance between mentor and mentee is significant. And this applies to both formal and informal mentoring. Informal or incidental mentoring is often unpredictable, 24/7, bottom-up or non-hierarchal, and spontaneous. In my life, it is this type of mentoring that has influenced me and helped me to grow the most. My “hidden teachers” or mentors include many people – my students, my children, my family, my friends, and my wife who have taught me some of life’s most important lessons about diversity.
What have I learned from my hidden, informal mentors?
Do not judge a book by its cover.
Exceptionality is in the eye of the beholder.
Generosity for all and acceptance of all.
Each and every individual brings something important to the table.
Joy comes wrapped in social and spiritual relationships.
Diversity matters.
Diversity and commonality are intertwined.
We are much more alike than we are different.
During this holiday season, I give thanks to all of the “mentors” in our lives. Happy Holidays!!