December 21, 2023
Scott Jeffrey Miller, Senior Advisor, Thought Leadership FranklinCovey Company
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When was the last time you felt yourself grow as an individual? I mean, a time when you truly felt a eureka moment of having gained a new insight or finally understood another perspective that helped you thrive. We found something to help you do just that.
On the heels of his popular “Master Mentor” book series, best-selling author and top global thought leader, Scott Jeffrey Miller, has created your next go to book, “The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship”, a very practical guide that provides the top do’s and don’ts to consider when mentoring. This book covers everything you need to know on both sides of the table—like setting boundaries with your mentee, goal setting, and the various roles a mentor plays depending on the situation—and much more.
Intrigued by the need for better mentoring and how it can help people grow, Dean DeBiase invited Scott to join him for another action packed episode of The Reboot Chronicles to talk about his life journey, and unpack how to capture eureka moments, through the lens of mentoring.
Mentoring Under A Stranger
When thinking of a mentor/mentee relationship, most people think of two individuals who have regular meetings where the mentor imparts some nugget of wisdom, or helps the mentee towards some goal. Although that is a type of mentoring, there is also another relationship, where the mentor has no idea who their mentee is. As mentor aficionado Scott said “my biggest mentor in my life was the guy I never met, who never knew I was alive.” A mentor can be any piece of media you find compelling, like a podcast you watch on YouTube or a book from your favorite author that has something for you to learn and grow from.
Setting Boundaries
One aspect of the mentor/mentee relationship that Scott focuses on is to not live vicariously through your mentee. Which can be hard for a lot of people, especially when you are seeing someone go through similar situations to the ones you went through. As Scott says “it’s important you separate your fears and your desires from their fears and their desires.” One way to separate these emotions is to have boundaries set in place, realize that the person you are mentoring is not you and at the end of the day they will do what they see fit. Not to say you cannot offer them advice on the subject, but keep in mind how you phrase that advice and the weight your advice may carry based on the current situation.
More Mentoring Memorabilia
For the readers at home who are interested in mentorship, or want more of Scotts work, head over to his website. He has his own podcast titled “On Leadership” with over 300 episodes, as well as a variety of blog posts, articles and seminars. There are also more books on mentoring, and other topics like marketing, management and careers for you to check out. And check out The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship online and at bookstores everywhere.
