Mind v. Sight The image in the mirror is accurate, but the meaning we assign it can be as distorted as the reflection in a fun-house mirror. Depending on our position, we see tall or short, thin or wide.  I recently renewed my driver’s license, and the application asked for my hair color. I was inclined to respond “black,” but

These three words are my trumpet call, the signal that it is time to leave, and the action necessary to ensure an on-time departure. I used them with my children. Many years later, the mother of my granddaughters uses the exact words. When I used them on my writing colleagues at a retreat, they declared it was the best thing

Obviously, mentorship is a subject near and dear to me. I have benefited so much that I cannot help but share my experiences.  Last week, I forgot to mention one important reason not to provide an answer, no matter how good it may be. Consider a mentee’s higher confidence in and commitment to decisions they make with your guidance rather

For Good Reason Sometimes, wanting a quick answer or displaying your proficiency by supplying it may tempt you to short-circuit the development process. However, besides defeating the purpose of mentorship, there is a good reason not to.  Wrong Yes, you might have considerable wisdom and expertise, but recall you gained most of it through error. What assurance do you have

This Is HOW We Do It In a series on mentorship, you should not expect a prescriptive message like Montell Jordan’s hit song. But for a few brief general rules, examples illustrate the practices you can apply to your mentor relationships.  No Answers Here  Mentors should spend far more time listening and resist the temptation to show their intellectual prowess

NOT Friends with Benefits You undoubtedly understand the importance of a frank interaction with a trusted confidant that leads to breakthrough growth. For this reason, I devote several messages to mentorship, and my experiences over the past year have continued to confirm my beliefs and provide me with fresh insights.   What Mentorship is the process whereby one party listens, probes,