Detail of Rodin's The Thinker, Paris. Photo: www.vehophoto.com
At Cisco’s recent Partner Velocity event in Paris Marc Lewis, Create Problem Solver, talked about how to produce valuable and original ideas. Along the way he submitted the following ten laws for working with a mentor:
1. Consider the mentor’s moral code impeachable.
2. The mentor should make no claim to greatness.
3. They must not be related.
4. They must not benefit financially from you.
5. You must be willing to share your most intimate thoughts with them.
6. They should not impart wisdom where they do not lack expertise.
7. You should be able to challenge their wisdom.
8. They should encourage you to challenge.
9. You should be willing to take their wisdom as finite.
10. Terminate the relationship if/when you can’t.
Although this list is neither definitive nor exhaustive, it provides food for thought for both mentors and mentees.
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