Ask Your Mentor What You Should Be Asking Them

Brazen Careerist blogger Penelope Trunk describes her experiences in finding a mentor whose knowledge and perspective complement and augment her own—but more importantly, how she kept the relationship from dwindling. One of her key successes in maintaining a mentor came from the man himself:

The first time I asked Chris, "What should I be asking you now?" I felt silly. After all, it's a line he fed me. But now I use it with him all the time, and it's actually an invitation for him to tell me what he thinks I'm missing, which is information I wouldn't get if I directed the conversation the whole time.

Trunk also advises only contacting your mentors when you know it's easy for them to talk, and keeping them up to date on your career position. How do you successfully utilize a mentor without seeming like a time drain? Share your story in the comments.

How I got my current favorite mentor [Brazen Careerist]

The Fred Factor

How to Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary

Fred is the ordinary-looking postal carrier with a small moustache who delivers mail to motivational speaker Mark Sanborn's house in the Washington Park area of Denver. But he is no ordinary U.S. Postal Service worker. According to Sanborn, he is the kind of worker who exemplifies everything that is "right" with customer service and business in general, and is "a gold-plated example of what personalized service looks like and a role model for anyone who wants to make a difference in his or her work."

Not only did Sanborn get the best postal service he had ever experienced when he moved to Fred's route, but he also got a perfect example of superior service to illustrate his presentations to business leaders throughout the United States. According to Sanborn, anyone can be a Fred and live an extraordinary life as well.

Four Fred Principles
After examining the factors that make Fred the Postman such an extraordinarily committed service person, Sanborn honed them down to four principles that can be applied to improve anyone's life and work. These principles are:

1. Everyone makes a difference. Some might see delivering mail as monotonous drudgery, but Fred sees the task as an opportunity to make the lives of his customers more enjoyable. Regardless of whether an employer hinders exceptional performance, ignores it, or does not adequately recognize it, only the employee can choose to do his or her job in an extraordinary way. Sanborn writes, "Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be exceptional."

2. Success is built on relationships. Indifferent people deliver impersonal service. Sanborn writes that service becomes personalized when a relationship exists between the provider of the service and the customer. The quality of the relationship determines the quality of the product or service. Leaders succeed when they recognize that their employees are human, and employees like Fred the Postman succeed when they recognize their work involves interacting with other human beings.

3. You must continually create value for others, and it doesn't have to cost a penny. Replace money with imagination. Sanborn explains that the object is to outthink your competition rather than outspend them. The most critical skill that contributes to employability is the ability to create value for customers and colleagues without spending money to do it. Substitute creativity for capital. Mediocrity is your silent opponent and can diminish the quality of your performance as well as the meaning you derive from it.

4. You can reinvent yourself regularly. If Fred the Postman can excel at bringing creativity and commitment to putting mail in a box, you are probably capable of doing as much or more to reinvent your work and rejuvenate your efforts. Sanborn believes that "no matter what job you hold, what industry you work in, or where you live, every morning you wake up with a clean slate. You can make your business, as well as your life, anything you choose it to be."

Fred Sightings
Sanborn points out that Freds can be found everywhere, and there are more Freds out there than he once thought. One Fred is a woman at a hotel who helped Sanborn out in a pinch by taking his coffee-stained pants home with her overnight to personally wash and press for his departure the next day.

Another Fred he describes is a flight attendant who made a 6:15 a.m. flight from Denver to San Francisco more enjoyable for passengers by lightening the usual announcements with her unique sense of humor: "If you are having a hard time getting your ears to pop, I suggest you yawn widely. And if you are having a hard time yawning, ask me to tell you about my love life." Sanborn explains that she took some risks and had some fun, and as a result, her "customers" the passengers had fun, too.

Another Fred who Sanborn describes is a hotel worker who lent him $30 when he had no cab fare for his ride home. Sanborn explains that this Fred knows that the way to move through life joyfully and successfully is by focusing on what you give rather than what you get. Freds do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

Sanborn explains that if you want more Freds in the world, be a Fred. Throughout the rest of The Fred Factor, he describes how every individual can make a difference, and offers numerous difference-making strategies to help readers influence the world in a positive way.

Why We Like This Book
The Fred Factor presents a compassionate look at how every action we take can be made more significant if we take the time to reinvent our work and rejuvenate our efforts. By providing a look at the normal people who do extraordinary things in their daily activities, Sanborn presents heart-warming business lessons that expose the value and endless possibilities for improving life and work that come from loving others. Copyright © 2004 Soundview Executive Book Summaries

What if Peter used TWITTER

Who hasn't heard about this Twitter thing…at first I didn’t understand it…but now I love it. It’s a great way to keep up with friends…and it definitely has both funny moments AND the ability for people to connect on the www!

So…I thought, what if this had been available during the time of Jesus and Peter would have twittered…it would have probably looked something like this…

* Just met this guy named Jesus–He changed my name, interesting…wonder what else He’s going to try and change?
* Holy smoke…just landed a HUGE catch of fish by doing what this Rabbi said.
* Just left the family business to follow Jesus–this guy captivates me.
* Today Jesus fed over 5,000 men with a kids happy meal…and even multiplied the surprise!
* Walked on water today for a little while–Thomas doubted whether or not I could and Judas was giving four to one odds on me drowning.
* YEAH…I got it right! Jesus is the Messiah…He encouraged me.
* Jesus just called me satan…I am thinking I got something wrong.
* Trying to sleep…I think Jesus is praying over there…
* Just cut a guys ear off, Jesus fixed it–no problem.
* I think it’s over–He’s dead.
* I think we’re next!
* I think somethings happening…He’s not in the tomb.
* He’s alive–he just walked through a flippin’ wall!
* It’s ON–He just did that fish catching thing again!
* He just said something about having all authority–after what I just saw…I believe it!
* Just preached my first public sermon, 3,000 people received Christ…was waterlogged after the baptism service.
* Two people lied about the offering today - God killed them for it - giving increase 462% afterwards.

Well, Peter didn’t Twitter…but we do get to read about him in Matthew, Mark, Luke & John and his journey with Jesus.

What IF they would have had the technology we have? Another post sometime…

How to Be a Better Listener in 3 Easy Steps

Going All the Way by Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) was written as a guide to having a better marriage, but it also has some valuable lessons for leaders. In particular, Craig discusses how to be a better listener in 3 easy steps.

1. When someone is speaking, stop everything and focus intently on the other person.
Don’t think about something else. Don’t formulate your response. You’re goal is to comprehend not just the person’s words, but their heart.

2. Don’t just listen with your ears, but also with your eyes.
Pay attention to facial expressions and to body language. You’ll be surprised how much information comes through gestures and stance, even how the other person breathes while they’re talking.

3. Repeat back to the person what you’re hearing so the other person knows what you heard.
By telling [someone] what I think [he] meant, I can confirm that I’ve understood [him]. It also affirms to [him] the value of what [he] said. It shows [him] not just that I heard [him], but that I was listening. Which demonstrates to [him] that I care.

Being a good listener not only makes you more likable but wiser. There is a lot to be learned from the ideas and insights of other people.