[blox_row][blox_column width=”1/1″][blox_heading title=”I read the mentoring blogs every week.” size=”h3″ style=”style5″ animation=”none”][/blox_heading][blox_text animation=”none”]
This morning’s are representative of the norm. The top five blog articles are about mentoring at work: “Mix N’ Mentor Comes to Jordan,” “Cuomo Touts NY Business Mentor Program, “10 Ways to Become a Great Mentor” (in business), “Mentoring for Scale” and “4 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Mentor” from Fortune Magazine. These are all good and useful. But the best of mentoring is not just about your work.
Here is one reason why. Until a few weeks ago, Andreas Lubitz was a First Officer for Germanwings, a German airline. On March 24, he deliberately locked the Captain of his Airbus out of the cockpit and flew the aircraft into the ground, killing—murdering—149 people on Flight 9525 while taking his own life.
Let’s think about what mentoring might have looked like for Mr. Lubitz. He was a young man, 27 years old, and a new pilot to Germanwings, with only 630 total flight hours. An occupational mentor would have spent some time with him: working through his ambition to be a pilot for the airline; helping him understand the skills necessary to become a Captain; cautioning him against the professional errors that have tripped other pilots; showing him what a career progression might look like in the industry.
But who would have helped Mr. Lubitz work through the physical problems and intense depression that caused him to do such a heinous thing while on the job?
To be clear, Mr. Lubitz’ is an extreme case and he needed professional help beyond what a mentor can or should provide. But it illustrates the value of leadership mentors looking beyond the job in helping those they mentor. A whole life does affect what happens on the job. This is true in your place of business…
With the cashier who dips into the till because of severe financial distress at home…
Or the customer service rep who snaps at one of your most loyal customers because of a fight that morning with his wife…
Or the yelling down the hall that disrupts the work of dozens because a manager doesn’t understand her employee’s distress from the recent loss of a loved aunt…
Or the employee who uses up all his personal and sick leave and is unproductive while at work because of neglect of his physical body…
You get my drift. Mentors who limit their work to occupational issues only also limit their effect in helping those they mentor thrive. This has consequences for the leader being mentored and for the company.
In a 2014 study, Gallup and Purdue University found that employees who thrive in the five measured elements of life (very similar to Leadership Design Group’s 8 Dimensions of a Whole Life) are far more engaged at work: nearly 10% more engaged for each additional life element in which they are thriving. Another Gallup study found engaged employees far more productive with far fewer safety and quality errors than unengaged employees.
The whole lives of your emerging leaders matter. Mr. Lubitz’ whole life certainly mattered to Germanwings which faces liability estimates of $300 million or higher as a result of his actions.
The best of mentors will mentor a whole life. Even in businesses.
[/blox_text][/blox_column][/blox_row]