Seeker

Have you ever acted as a mentor for another person? To sponsor them or to help their development? Have you been helped in your career or life development by a mentor? I've experienced both in informal ways and as part of formal schemes. Mentoring is not a new idea. It has been basic to most apprenticeship systems for many hundreds, if not thousands of years. A good mentor can enhance a person's life or career through helping to build competencies and confidence. The role of mentor requires a range of skills, values and knowledge. One particular aspect of mentoring is the mentor's encouragement of the 'mentee'. Encouragement does not mean giving constant false praise. It's more about strengthening, so can include identifying problems, or giving someone a bit of a shove in a better direction. Some people have a particular gift of encouragement. One person who good at encouraging others is commemorated today. He was Barnabas, 'son of encouragement'....