Abstract
During the Journey of Odysseus in Greek mythology, Mentor was a good friend of Odysseus. Odysseus placed Mentor in charge of his home and of his son, Telemachus, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War. The goddess of war, Athena, disguised herself as Mentor to avoid suitors of Penelope, Telemachus’ mother, and visited Telemachus. Athena, as Mentor, encouraged Telemachus to stand up against all the suitors and go on a journey to find out what happened to his father during the Trojan War. During Telemachus searched, Odysseus returned home where Athena appeared to him as Mentor and briefed him. Mentor’s name has been adopted into an English term meaning a trusted counselor or guide that shares knowledge with a less experienced person because of Mentor’s relationship to Telemachus and Odysseus, and majorly because Athena disguised herself as Mentor for her encouragement and practical plans for dealing with personal dilemmas. We are going to explore the importance of sharing wisdom and knowledge to colleagues throughout an organization as a Mentor and why mentorship strengths the overall production of an organization.

The Power of Mentoring within an Organization
In the movie Role Models, Gayle Sweeney played by Jane Lynch said, “I'm the coach and I'm the point guard, I'm the two forwards, the center, and I'm the other guard. I'm the entire organization (Wain, 2008). Whether Gayle knew it or not she was being a mentor. She basically said if there’s anything that you need to learn or know, you can come to me because I know everything and I’m the knowledgeable one of the organization. Only if Danny and Wheeler would have taken this counseling section as an invitation to being mentor they would not have when through a rough road in the beginning and the organization would not have had problems because they would have had a leader who know the people and know how to handle the rough kids. Although this was a fictional movie and a comedy, the plot is real and example of day to day operations of any organization. How great mentorship and leadership make a organization productive?
There are currently three types of generation in the workforce today. We have the Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. The Baby Boomers are people who were born during the post-war period between 1946 to 1964. Generation X, which is my generation, is people who were between 1965 to 1980. Generation X is known as the independent generation. Now, there’s Generation Y, known as Generation Next, which were people born from 1981 to 1990. Our text describes mentoring as an experienced, production senior employee who helps develop a less experience employee, the protégé (Noe, 2010, p. 371). With that being said and all three generations being in the workforce that means that the Baby Boomers will have to train Generation X in an organization, and Generation X will have to train Generation Y. Generation Y will have to train Generation Z once they hit the workforce. The object is continuity. In order for an organization to survive over the years, it productivity has to survive. Older people will leave and new people have to come into the organization. Older people are normally looked at as the Leader and they have the knowledge and experiences. What about with the new technology, though? What about the older people who can’t use iPhones and smartphones? That’s why leaders have to be mentored sometimes. Leaders are both intrigued and haunted by talk about vision. Taking time to think about the future and dream about what I over the horizon where they serve can be exciting. It gives an energy that wells up with that “now we can really do something” surge. However, for some leaders visionary talk is disturbing, for not all leaders are visionaries (Pue, 2005, p. 101). When new technology comes out because some organizations are currently profitable they do not look outside the box or the look at future possibilities. Younger generation has to encourage the older generation to pick up the iPhone and smartphones and help them to dive into their creative side. Most of the world’s masterpiece has come because of chance and the fact that someone has had an idea, but was afraid to pick it because they did not have the drive or they are pessimistic about how far the chance can tell them in the future. Learning to sustain an organization through mentoring is very challenging though. Naturally, leaders move forward as the organization begins to grow and move to the future and some unsettledness begins to kick in. Sustaining an organization that is achieving its mission is difficult because it usually requires adding new team members with different since of growth. Some team members needs to leave. The gifts and skills that brought the organization to its achieving point may not be what are needed to maintain the good work that it has established. That why leaders need to be mentors too.
Earlier I mentioned Gayle Sweeney from the movie Role Models, although she felt like she was the organization and she had what it takes to run it alone. One day, she will need a mentor of a younger generation because times change and as time changes the needs changes and people take on what they need to survive changes. If an organization remains in balance all the time it will die. Mentors are the same. Mentors in an organization can remain the same or the organization will not survive and certainly die. Mentoring cannot always be at a balance, because it’s through off by organization growing and changing at a steady pace as need for technology change and grow. With the younger generation being more technical savvy, it requirement for mentors has changed, and the chance for younger generation to be a mentor has to remain a possibility. Ironically, older people are helping younger people in the technological ages and inspiring the younger generations in organization to make products easier to use or smaller in size. Although, through the mentorship of skills and experience workers protégé found a door open to show what they have learned from their leaders and make some that fits with the competition into today’s market. For example the late Frederick Laker of British Airlines mentored Richard Branson of the Virgin Group which includes Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines. Richard Branson is now the fourth riches person in the world because of his mentoring in business by someone who is not afraid of chance and identifies with changes.
Kicking an old habit is one of the toughest things to do. It takes hard work and a process of change, but it is an essential element of the discipline mentor’s life (Engstrom & Jenson, 2005, pp. 32-33). After reading Dr. Engstrom and Dr. Jenson’s book, I have created my own seven “D’s” to change: Discern, Discover, Discard, Disconnect, Dwell, Drill and Discipline. Discern the problem which you have to acknowledge the problem at hand. Discover the alternative to look for good examples or understand how others have solved the problem and do what is best for you. Discard the old stuff that keeps your ground to the same old thing, for example if it is because it because a production try a new one. Disconnect from the old get rid of everything that ties you to the old product. Dwell on the change will cost you remember why you are changing. Drill it into your everyday life because change is not easy and it becomes a habit it will become easier to change. Discipline yourself into doing these steps and have self-control to maintain the confidence need for the outcome whether is it is good or bad.
Organizations need their key people to become world-class, but companies seldom get beyond a classroom training model that assumes people don’t need individual attention (Logan PhD. & King, 2001, p. 9). There is where mentoring comes in a key element. It give individuals the change to have that individual attention and get the extreme training they need. Not only does it gives employees the opportunity to learn the organization ins and outs but it same organization lots of money on traditional classroom training. Anything that makes more money for an organization is not confusing and makes a sense because money is considerably the primary reasons whether an organization stay or go. It is true, it is clear and it is not misunderstood but some people will still say it is not the ultimate result that training its people is. The two goes hand and hand.
Batman mentored Robin. They were team which created a great duo called Batman and Robin. Team is the most important part of mentoring within an organization. Through teamwork there has leader and a follower. Within the group the leader has the gift and the skills to lead and the abilities to learn new ideas that are why the leader of the group will be the mentor. A follower must have the ability to take in the skills and gift to achieve a common goal and productive plan of action. The followers will be the protégés. In a true team, the mentors are committed to one another’s growth and success in an organization. Granted, these individuals may not become best friends, but they must respect one another and care about their colleagues’ person maturation. Unless team members experience such ongoing growth, the team will suffer. When these elements are combined, the result is a powerful assembly of individuals whose ability to serve other is multiplied beyond what anyone could accomplish alone. Teams sometimes make mistakes, lose their way, or fall victim to conflicts. More often than not, leaders love working in teams and are ecstatic about the outcomes of the team’s effort (Barna, 2001, pp. 25-27).
Some mentoring is not done deliberately in organizations. Just an employee admiring the aspiration of your work, and strive to do better is a sign of mentoring not deliberate. Additionally, a true leader within an organization is someone who inspires growth and advancement without intentionally investing time in his colleagues. Money plays a role in mentoring not being deliberate. An employee looks at wealth and would like the same wealth. Money should not be the answer to every organization problems and the inspiration to greatness but unfortunately it is one of the major incentives. Employees need this incentive because some people never get the chance to reach their full potential, but have something that is self inspired offers the a training no one can get in a class room because the actual impact of wanting to learn comes from within. Although it is proven that the most effective mentoring are the one that are deliberate and intentional.
Mentoring offers organizations the ability to help their employees do everything the company needs to profit by aligning them with senior employees that does everything need for the company to profit. At times, organizations need to look at knowledge of production change and align mentoring with employees with that knowledge which ironically younger employees with have to mentor senior employees. Either outcome organization main objective is to be profitable and have the highest trained employee of all generations. Benefits are potentially great through mentoring, but mentoring requires care planning and skillful leadership in order for it work for an organization. Making every employee knowledgeable and successful as soon as possible is every profitable organization goal. Through proper mentorship and aligning the right people with the same common goal for the organization the mission of success will be complete.
References
Barna, G. (2001). The power of team leadership. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press.
Engstrom, T. W., & Jenson, R. (2005). The making of a mentor. Waynesboro, GA: Authentic Media.
Logan PhD., D., & King, J. (2001). The Coaching Revolution. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media Corporation.
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Pue, C. (2005). Mentoring leaders: Wisdom for developing character, calling and competency. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Wain, D. (2008). Role Models. Universal Pictures (1 Hr. 42 Mins).