There are very few things that we accomplish by ourselves. I’m reminded of that every day as I look around our region. From our FasTracks commuter rail project to our sports stadiums to our great arts and cultural programs to our airport, the Denver metro area wouldn’t be what it is today without people working together.
And, the same is true for our careers—none of us gets where we’re going without help.
I’ve had tons of mentors in my life (and I assure you: I’m not done yet). My approach to finding mentors has been to seek out colleagues who are really good at something and learn from them. Here are some things they taught me:
Focus on the problem, not on the people. It’s easy to diminish others when you are in a high-stress, challenging situation (particularly during high-stakes negotiations). This advice came from a guy who was masterful at getting teams to stop focusing on the weaknesses of others and instead really work on the challenge before us or the problem we needed to solve.
Seek out your critics and learn from them. Everybody says this, and we all know by now that bringing vastly different views to the table actually results in better solutions. What I really learned from my mentors was this approach can also shorten implementation time because you have reduced your opposition. (Typically, people don’t spend energy sabotaging or trash talking solutions they helped create.)
Know your weaknesses. I know this can be a little depressing, but it’s really about creating top performing teams. I saw great leaders hire people to overcome areas where the leader was weak or the team lacked. (A side note: mentors were also clear that you don’t need to share your areas of weakness with others—we all know they can find them fast enough without your help.)
Speak honestly. Nobody wants to create more conflict, but speaking honestly and truthfully pays off in the long run. I strongly agree with this advice—it’s better to deliver bad news or feedback that can be hard to hear than to ignore it. Everybody likes to know where they stand with a boss or teammate, and in the end, you will gain the respect of your team if you learn to deliver tough messages in a thoughtful way.
Don’t threaten what you can’t follow through on. Failing to follow through on what you promise or threaten is damaging to your credibility. If you don’t learn this at work, your kids will teach this to you very quickly. If you haven’t learned this lesson yet, see the advice above about speaking honestly.
Timing is everything. Some of the best advice I got isn’t summarized in a pithy statement like those above. This kind of advice and counsel is relevant to a very specific situation. It’s times like this when those relationships you have been forming are invaluable—because great mentors can help you discover what is best for that situation.
Finally, great mentors challenge you to improve in every aspect of your life. They support you in difficult times and open their experiences to you for learning as well. I have had the opportunity to work in very different fields—plowed snow at Stapleton International Airport, counseled delinquent girls, served as then-Mayor John Hickenlooper’s chief of staff, perfected that Dairy Queen curl on a cone and now as your CEO of the Chamber. I had mentors in every single role who challenged and encouraged me.
I absolutely know I wouldn’t be where I am today without those mentors giving me advice and straight talk along the way. That’s why we are such strong supporters of mentoring programs like Boots to Suits, which pairs our service men and women with mentors as they transition to the business world. We’re looking for more mentors; click here to find out more (or email our Public Affairs Director Jennifer Jones) and get involved.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
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