Need a break?

Everyone needs a break once in a while. If you don't have time for a nice hike in the woods, try these free, relaxing three minute videos.
http://www.tranquilityisyours.com/index.html

This is an external link and I do not have any association with the website, but I did watch the water video and it was nice to listen to.

Relax . . .
Shaun

Mentors

There are many different kinds of support we can build into our network. One kind is a mentor. Mentors differ from coaches in a variety of ways. Mentors are valued for specific experience in your field and likely are in the same organization as you. Their job is to bring you along in your skills and give you advice often so that you can someday replace them. They are not necessarily objective, if they are part of an organization, they must further the organization's goals. If they are a good mentor, they are on your side too, but they are likely hoping you'll help their career too. Being intimately involved in an organization and a trade, mentors can greatly speed up your learning.

Mentors are a great component of your network. Coaches may well have expertise in a particular field, but they are less likely to give advice and more likely to help you discover the answer through intensive discussions. Coaches help you uncover blind spots and unfounded assumptions that might be holding you back or leading you down the wrong path. Mentors may have unwittingly bought into the same assumptions and blind spots and may not be motivated to help you uncover them, especially if those assumptions serve the interests of the mentors.

This article is not meant to turn you away from mentors, but to give you some perspective on why it is important to have a balanced support network. For an interesting discussion on mentors through the lenses of Star Wars and Harry Potter by my brother, follow this external link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/skjam/70670.html#cutid1

Shaun

(c) 2005 Shaun G. Jamison All Rights Reserved