Helping others helps yourself. Remember that Jerry McGuire movie? “Help me, help you.” 

Mentoring helps the mentor just as much — if not more — as it does the mentees. 

As a mentor, I’ve seen this happen time and time again. Anytime I thought I was helping someone, I realized that they were actually helping me, too. 

This is one of the reasons why I place such a high value on mentorship. For me, mentorship is priceless. It opens up the grounds for new bonds to form, but beyond that, it seeks positive change. People come together to strategize, talk about their goals, and acknowledge their challenges.

But, I do understand how people may have questions about mentoring. If you’re a busy professional, you may be thinking, “sure, mentorship is great. But what’s in it for me?” 

If you haven’t experienced the benefits of mentorship first hand, I’d like to share how helpful this practice can be — for boosting your spirit and your career. 

Everyone Has Something to Teach You 

Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you have all the answers. 

We’re currently in a revolution and it’s disrupting the traditional business hierarchy model. With the internet at our fingertips, everyone now knows something that someone else doesn’t know. 

In many cases, these insights are necessary for the future. 

They’ve already experienced something and can tell you about the hardships and the strategies. They studied up on something and can teach you what’s most important. Whatever it may be, you can’t pretend like the person you’re talking to doesn’t have an ace in their own pockets. 

In the past, we all got out of college and the only things we knew were what the school or employer told us. 

But today, YOU add the value. 

Joining a new team doesn’t mean putting your head down and becoming a blank slate. Being onboarded means that they want your value, your insight, your talents… they want your flavor added to their dynamic. 

You Think You’re Mentoring, But They’re Changing the Game

When we mentor it’s easy to think that we’re the ones teaching, yet they are the ones who are changing the way we’re doing business. 

As a mentor, you can help your team help your business. Your experience can fill them in on what’s missing. You can offer them real-time understanding of crucial areas of business, such as how to network, how to have professional relationships, and how to lead through a crisis. 

But, as the older generation is helping them get better acquainted with business culture, the mentee is learning more modern movements — that are changing businesses forever. 

Mentorship Combines Tradition and Innovation

From technology to modern workforce demands, mentorship closes the gap between the “yesterday” and the “tomorrow” of business. 

When tradition and innovation come together, it’s an unstoppable force. The mentor-mentee relationship goes both ways now. The mentee is the audience that we’re adapting to, and there is so much to learn from them. 

The benefits of mentorship go both ways. It’s like having a think-tank every time you bring on someone new.