Mentoring the 80% – Avoiding the Rock Stars and Duds

“The first thing is 100% look for difference [when mentoring]. If you are only looking for more of the same, you are hurting yourself. Cloning was bad in Star Wars, and cloning is bad in real life. The second one is related: get away from the rock stars and the duds when you are mentoring.”

Lt. Col. Chaveso “Chevy” Cook, PhD, Executive Director, MilitaryMentors.org

We’re Only Human — Episode 145

Mentoring has been a bigger conversation in the last year as more companies are looking for ways to develop women leaders, move diverse professionals up the ranks, and support the workforce in a more tangible way. But employers often look at just the top 10% and bottom 10%, according to today’s guest, missing the chance to connect with the 80% of employees who are typically excluded from mentoring opportunities.

In this conversation, Ben speaks with Lt. Col. Chevy Cook about key ideas in successful mentoring based on research and practice. They not only tie in the science of mentoring but also the art of relationship dynamics and more.

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.