Mentoring is generally seen as a more experienced person guiding a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. It has been accepted as a one-way street: wisdom flowing down from the senior mentor to the mentee. That’s really not how it should be.
By Melissa A. Bizyak, CPA | Grossman, Yanak & Ford LLP
One of the most important and invaluable lessons I have learned is that mentoring is a two-way street. You may be asking what I mean by that statement. After all, in modern business practice, mentoring is generally seen as a more experienced person guiding a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. Every time I hear this definition of mentoring, I picture Yoda training Luke Skywalker to use the Force. In fact, the word is rooted in the work of Homer’s Odyssey, as it was the name of the person entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son. Basically, it has been accepted as a one-way street: wisdom flowing down from the senior mentor to the mentee.
That’s really not how it should be.
I have been fortunate over my 23-year career to have successful, experienced, and balanced mentors who have helped shape me as a professional as well as my development as an individual. During the past decade I have taken on the role of mentor just as seriously and earnestly as those who have mentored me. And I have learned that mentoring is more of a two-party exchange than a one-direction distribution.
The following is what I believe to be the key ingredients in a successful mentoring relationship:
The PICPA now offers Mentor Match to encourage you to cultivate one of these rewarding professional relationships. Join the PICPA Mentor Match online directory to find or become a mentor.
Melissa A. Bizyak, CPA is a partner in the business valuation and litigation support service group with Grossman, Yanak & Ford LLP in Pittsburgh. She was a 2017 PICPA Women to Watch Award recipient.
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