Private: Intelligence

You know what our industry needs?  We need more mentors.

The business is growing rapidly, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.  Forrester is now predicting that the web advertising business is going to surpass TV advertising in 2016.  That means more attention, more focus, and more to do for all of us involved.  It also means more challenges and more opportunities for problem solving that can be more easily achieved through experienced eyes and that’s what a mentor can bring to the table.

Mentors are a vital part of any industry because they provide leadership and guidance to the younger professionals by way of the experiences of the more veteran careerists.  In a team environment, veteran players are tasked to provide guidance and mentorship to the younger players in expectation of passing the torch to them for continued success.  In sports, you create a dynasty by continuing a successful execution of a plan through multiple generations of players.  It’s the same in business, and mentors provide that bridge from the successes and the knowledge gained from the failures of the past, and can translate them to the minds of the future leaders.

If you talk to any successful business-person, they’ll tell you they have a mentor, and in some cases they may even have a network of mentors.  As the songs say, “everybody’s gotta serve somebody” and everybody has “someone to lean on”.  To quote another cliché, “no man is an island” and the advice and guidance of others is extremely important in helping to shape the character of the man (or woman) that you can become.  The reason I’m bringing all of this up is I feel as though our business has neglected mentorship for too long and not enough people take the time to pursue or follow up on the opportunities to engage in mentorship and I’m hoping this article will remind you of its importance.

To find a mentor is quite simple; not nearly as complicated as you might think.  To be a mentor is even simpler.  To find a mentor you just need to identify people whose experiences and character resonate with you.  These are people who may work in your business, but they also may not.  Mentors provide advice and guidance in all areas of your life, not just the practical job experience you may benefit from.   They can mentor you in anything from process and industry experience to stress management, time management, inter-personal skills and even in finding work/life balance.  Any area of your life that provides an opportunity for growth can benefit from mentorship. 

On the other end, as a mentor, you’re provided with two primary areas of benefit.  First off, there’s a sense of satisfaction in being able to help someone else in his or her career.  Allowing you to share your experiences with someone else who’s genuinely interested feels good, and it benefits the other person immensely.  In addition to the sense of positive well being, you can personally benefit by a few moments of introspection.  As another popular saying goes, “the best way to learn is to teach”.  Sometimes, sitting down and discussing challenges and solutions with someone else can provide you with an epiphany about how to handle yourself in a new way, further maturing your own character.

I’m hoping that enough people read this article to spur them to think about mentorship.  The industry could, and should, provide opportunities for mentorship and connecting younger professionals with more seasoned ones, but it is also reliant on you.  You can take the initiative to find people who you look up to, or whose experiences you value, and ask them if they would grab lunch.  Mentorship does not have to be a formal relationship, it can simply be a lunch, a dinner, or even coffee with someone.  It doesn’t cost a lot, but the benefits can be felt for years to come.

And while I’m at it, I want to formally thank you; each of you who have been a mentor to me over the years.  Some of you know who you are, while many of you aren’t even aware of the respect I have for you in your business.  I look up to some, emulate others, and aggressively learn from many, so thank you for your time, attention and your continued character in life.

Thanks!