Today a new trU Tips comes out, and the topic is mentoring. One word that will be prominent in this edition is the word GIFT.
My work is in the space of development and transition (some call it personal growth), and in that space I get to have conversations with the leaders and followers – so I get to hear both perspectives. As I think back on all these conversations, several themes emerge:
Leaders
- Underestimate the value people put on getting time with them.
- Fail to leverage their own network for support in self development / development of their team/themselves.
Followers
- Make up reasons not to ask their leader for one on one time or help.
- Look to their organization or leader to drive their personal development.
There will be many gifts given this holiday season, and I always encourage leaders to give the gift of time. If there is a magazine you love or a book you get excited about sharing, why not make that a gift and include a couple of hours of your time to discuss it as they read it. If you are looking for ideas, here are the books I share (my library) and a few tips for making a book a real gift by including your time.
The late Zig Ziglar, a champion for individual ownership/growth, was once asked by a leader after one of his talks, “What if I develop someone on my team and then they leave?” His answer, “What if you don’t develop them at all and they stay?”
We do have choices, and the choices we make with our time tells others what we value.
Make your gifts matter.
