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ON MENTORSHIP

The Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary defines Mentor as “someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person.” Mentorship is the art of being a mentor.

WHY IS MENTORSHIP IMPORTANT?

When it comes to moving forward into the future, looking back to the past is the usually the best thing to do. Sure, we are told to be bold and take that step into the uncertain future. However, what happens when we are taking a step on a path someone else has already taken? That is not good.

Simply, we are walking down a beaten path. While the beaten path is great to take when going down to the corner market for a gallon of milk, it is most certainly not the best to take when you want to do something new and exciting. When you want to blaze a trail into the unknown.

Having a Mentor is one way to avoid taking the path others have taken time and again. Thus, the individual being mentored can spend more time moving forward and less time walking where others have walked.

Mentorship has been around for ages. Ever since Homo habilis (early man) took his son out to hunt for the first time. Dad showed his would be hunter son which stick to use on the menacing Mastodon and which stones to use on the Saber-tooth tiger down by the watering hole. Then when the son grew up and had a son of his own, he passed on not only Dad’s tips and tricks to hunting Saber-tooth tiger but he added what he learned on his own. The when that son grew up, the entire process of teaching how to hunt is repeated and each time just a bit more is added. That process makes every subsequent generation better at hunting and thus here we are. Humans. Top of the Food Chain.

WHO SHOULD BE A MENTOR?

If you have something to teach, Teach!
If you have something to share with others, Share it!
If you find yourself with followers, Lead!
When you find people turn to you for answers. You are a MENTOR!

In essence, what I am trying to say is EVERYONE should recognize they are a mentor. No matter what your vocation is (if you have one) and no matter where you are in life, you will always have someone looking to you for advice, guidance, or direction.

Important to remember, when you open your mouth to say something is NOT the time you become a mentor. You become a mentor the moment some has come to you seeking that advice.

WHO SHOULD BE MENTORED?

If you have a question, someone must be answer it.
If you do not know how to do something, someone must teach you.
If you find yourself looking for direction, someone must show you.

In essence, what I am trying to say is EVERYONE should be mentored. No matter what rung on the company ladder you find yourself, you need a mentor. You need to remember that you cannot do everything that you want to do all at once. Better men and women than you have tried. Some succeeded but most failed. That is why; you must seek out their knowledge and wisdom to help avoid those mistakes. Therefore, if you fail the damage might not be as bad or big as those that failed before you. You will have learned something for the next attempt.

While all of us have something to give and share with others, we also have much more to learn from others. I leave you with bit of advice: find a mentor and be one for others.

David Guerra is a US Army Veteran, Author, Small Business Starter, Leadership Advocate and Action Taker.
You can follow David
– on TWITTER: @daveguerra
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Bargaining & Change Management

00-changeThe world is full of change. Yet, too many want to ignore it by burying their head in the sand. Others roll over and let it happen. However, too few honestly and openly embrace change. When it comes to change having a Leader manage and direct change is not only expected, it should be demanded, as it will most certainly be a wild and bumpy ride.

Change management is possible when everyone has a suitable stake in the change. However, the problem in managing change comes from the fact not everyone can have an equitable stake.

This is where controlling the change becomes an issue. One man’s cake is another man’s cupcake and the two shall never be the same. In managing change. There can be only one taking the reins of change. Leading, managing, directing change is not negotiable otherwise without it there would be nothing, not even organized chaos. Without leadership and proper management of change, there is still change.

In this case, change would be in the form of stagnation or regression causing external stakeholders and outside influencers to observe the organization’s inability to grow and lack of satisfaction among internal stakeholders.

Change in the modern workplace must be based on suitability and NOT equability. Suitability on the organization’s need to grow so all stakeholders are active participants of the function of the operation and not become former participants.

Thus if any bargaining does exist or come into play it is the leader’s will to dictate and drive the bargain exclusively on suitability. Meaning in business, NOT all things are equal and sometimes the good of the organization must take precedence over the needs of the individual or the few. If business operations were solely driven by those not in a position to make business decisions on a strategic level then the business would fail as the tactical side of the functions of business would quickly find itself lacking support, chiefly logistical and financial then the rest would follow much like a line of dominoes falling.

While change is good, having an organization not afraid to make change based on the good of everyone is even better. An organization that values its employees and other stakeholders will most certainly make change happen faster and better after having considering all issues. Thus, the true bargaining was done long before change even started.

No matter where you on the corporate ladder you are and how you react to change is pointless. It is pointless, as no matter how hard you fight it, resist it, or ignore it change is already here and it is going nowhere.

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IN THE NEWS: Sears Closures (a tale of transformation?)

On Thursday, April 21, 2016 Sears Holdings announced “it will close 68 Kmart and 10 Sears stores this summer in its latest move to cut losses.” (http://www.wfaa.com/money/78-sears-kmart-stores-to-close-see-the-list/147799701)

Folks, the only question we should be asking is why are these “anchor” type stores (the big ones at the mall) closing when the economy is doing better and gasoline prices are relatively cheap?

Think about this: When gas prices are low people have more money in their pockets that can be used to spend at places like Sears. Overall, the economy appears to be moving in a positive direction.

The U.S.Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 1.4 percent in the 4th Quarter of 2015 while positive is a slower pace than the 2.0 percent in the previous quarter. (http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/glance.htm)

Heck, even real disposable personal income increased 0.3 percent in February 2016. No matter how you look at things, positive growth is still positive growth.

Realistically, I know all this can change on a dime but for now things are poised for a pretty good year. Also, I am not part of the Sears Holdings inner circle and will almost never know what the real reason may be for the closures. That’s alright, all this speculation is pretty good.

Also what exactly what kind of “transformation” is needed to make the organization “profitable”? Unless the organization is planning to open more specialized (niche) stores, doing the same old thing (only less of it) is NOT going to cut it.