Mentoring- is it worth the effort?

The tiny toddler checked her balance with one hand, lifting cups and plates she could reach with the other. Her young mother took them one by one, putting them in their place in the cabinets. Minutes ticked by. Again she thought of how much faster it would be if she simply did the job herself. And how much safer! Sooner or later, another dish or glass would drop to the floor. “Why don’t they sell glasses in sets of nine or ten,” she thought. But day by day, week by week, month by month, she built value and skill into her little one, looking into the future at what she would become.

The young student, nearing the completion of her internship year, was partnered with an experienced medical laboratory scientist in the chemistry area of the laboratory. She struggled to replace a testing instrument part that was required to meet preventive maintenance requirements. Her mentor bent over her shoulder, watching her efforts. He thought about how easy it would be to nudge her aside and replace it himself, taking seconds instead of precious minutes. And yet he waited, offering a few key words of advice and encouragement.

The toddler grew, and was soon joined by a baby sister who also grew and then there were two tiny, faltering, inefficient little helpers for the young mother. But persevere she did. Older, taller, and stronger they became, learning by working alongside their patient mentor. How much time did it take to complete this effort? Was it worth the stress and strain over years? That question was answered this week in a unique way. While the mother struggled to organize and pack to prepare for her parent’s imminent move, both daughters, now grown, planned time to help. Whether traveling one hour or several, they came and worked alongside her… lifting her burden… lightening her load. And for the hundredth time, she saw the fruits of her mentoring so many years before. Instead of two fumbling toddlers, she had two strong, loving, hard-working, and unselfish young women to lift her up!

The young student soon became proficient at the maintenance task she had struggled with earlier. Under the watchful eye of her mentor, and several others, she made steady progress and now is a trusted, strong, and positive team member.

Is mentoring worth it? Ask the mother and the workplace mentor after a hard day of watching their youthful charges stumble and fail. Ask them again when they see the mature fruit of their labors.

Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
-Solomon (Proverbs 22:6, NIV)

Is mentoring worth the time invested? In the business world, we talk of Return On Investment (ROI)- when will this project start paying off? Mentoring and training others around me has a reasonably short ROI. If I can answer a request for help with an explanation and a “Let’s do this one together!”, then it is more likely that the team member I am mentoring will be able to handle the issue themselves in the future.

But there’s a better reason than ROI for spending time in mentoring. It builds value into team members… and children! If we truly consider team members… and children… as being individuals of high value, we will be willing to invest in their success simply because we care about them!

I challenge you today to find someone in whom to build value. Is it a child of yours, a team member, someone from church, a niece or grandson? Taking time to mentor someone is one of the strongest statements you can make about their importance to you. Look for that opportunity today!

By the way, I should know about those daughters… they’re mine. I should know about that still young mother… that’s my wife!