(anecdote to introduce mentoring)

Successful people have mentors

- (def.n) provide opportunities, challenge to be successful
- 3 ex. Famous people with mentors:
Joni Mitchell –taught (gr 7) to write own experience
Jane Goodall –given opportunity as an assistant
Kevin Spacey –encouraged by Jack Lemmon

Women benefit from mentors

(2 myths about women needing female mentors
- can be better to have men as mentors
- lack of female role models doesn’t prevent entering male-
dominated fields

Mentors can be found in more than ONE person

 author’s own examples: three bosses
1 – opportunity despite lack of qualifications, learned to
trust instincts
2 – had freedom to try…learned courage to fail = part of
achievement
3 – (negative example) learned to promote self, to give
constructive feedback as a boss

Many mentors, unexpected places

- peer – pushed to apply for job
- acquaintance – nominated for award

Give back by mentoring others

- Jack Lemmon quote

Balanced perspectives on work and mentoring

- life-work balance / knowing when to say no
- legacy – not WHAT you create, but WHO you impact
(they may someday impact you)

Source: Gaetz, L., Phadke, S., & Sandberg, R. (2011). The Canadian Writer’s World: Paragraphs and Essays. Toronto:
Pearson Canada.