The Original Mentor
Have you ever wondered where the word “mentor” comes from?
In Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, left home to join the Trojan War. He left his son, Telemachus, with his trusted friend Mentor. For 20 years Odysseus’ military campaign and protracted journey home kept him away from his son, beloved wife, and country. Then in The Odyssey, the king returns and finds his son a grown and mature man he can be proud to call his son and the next king. Mentor’s wise and careful tutelage made that possible.
Screeeeech!!! Stop the presses! Here’s the part of the story that rarely gets retold.
It turns out, writes Homer, that Mentor was not a very good guide at all. He was so deficient, that Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who loved Odysseus, his family and kingdom, was moved to intercede. She went to her father, Zeus, received permission to inhabit Mentor’s body, and guide Telemachus herself.
And THAT is why Homer’s Mentor has become synonymous with teaching, guiding, and coaching. What we learn from this parable is that mentoring does not come naturally, just because someone knows how to do something. We also learn that for a mentoring program to be successful buy-in from upper management (Zeus…it doesn’t get much higher) is essential.
A mentor is a person who serves as a role model for leadership, personal growth and professional development. An effective mentor works with his or her protégé to develop and nurture new ways of thinking and acting that lead to breakthrough performance.
Anyone who wants to can become a great mentor.
At Odyssey Mentoring, we lead our clients on a journey where mentors and protégés are partners. Each dedicated to giving and getting the most out of their mentoring program. Each committed to making it work and becoming the person they are meant to be. No divine intervention needed, just good solid program design and training to set a solid foundation.
We help mentoring partners develop the skills they need to nurture breakthrough thinking and productivity. These skills include understanding how people think, learning to ask reflective questions, becoming a keen observer of patterns, and learning to share your network.
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
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You’re so welcome. I will be posting monthly for sure. More if possible. You can also read work from me at http://www.PropellHer.com. I just began guest blogging for them last week. Thank YOU for your interest and words of encouragement. – Susan Bender Phelps
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Antonetta, It is not difficult to set up your own blog. There are many different platforms for doing it. I went with blogging on my business web site. I used a designer to create it as I am not that handy. I am happy with the result. I recommend you do what you are doing to search for a platform that fits your stele and go for it.
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Thanks. So glad you like what we are doing.
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You’re welcome. Glad you like what we are doing here.
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having a tough
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Yes, simply click Contact at the top and you may email me directly from the site. Glad you like what we have to offer. – Susan
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I’d be delighted for you to share my blog with your group. All the BEST – Susan
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If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Appreciate it!
There are two great mentoring communities that I can recommend: http://www.PropellHer.com and http://www.MentorCity.com. I have talked with the founders of both and am very impressed with their approach to mentoring. Both sites offer opportunities to sign up to be either a mentor or mentee. Thanks for reading!