And don't miss Paula Broadwell, David Petraeus, and the Mentoring Scam - it puts things in perspective nicely:
One National Public Radio host declared herself “annoyed” that the Petraeus scandal might cast a pall over all male-female mentor relationships. But allow me to suggest a potential upside: there is a vanishingly small chance that the Broadwell-Petraeus affair might do irreparable damage to the mentor industry, which is about as useful as the holistic medicine industry."About as useful as the holistic medicine industry." Isn't it weird how such things are repeatedly said, as an aside, but few will confront it directly?
"Australians spend a lot of money on these products each year, money which may be wasted."Well, there's no need to worry about that as long as such a good, caring, and compassionate man as Mitt Romney is in the business, huh?
That is, if he even understands what business he's in,...
Funny that "mentoring" should be brought up.
ReplyDeleteIn the horse world, because of its insular, small nature, it's pretty common to have a "mentor" -- under the best circumstances (one that is sadly disappearing as the old instructors who learned at actual riding schools are dying out) this means and instructor/boss, who you work for in exchange for instruction (and instruction, guidance from the more senior students)-- part of this is to also have the opportunity to learn from other instructors in your boss/instructor's web of knowledge and whatever books on theory your instructor (and the others) might recommend as well as problem solving on your own (with oversight and guidance if needed) during the course of your work , thus increasing your exposure to knowledge; at its worst (which is sadly becoming the case) it means a guru...with the usual results.
It's very sad that mentoring has now just become a byword for "hanging with the guru".
PW
(and the rest of the world should most definitely not emulate the way the horse world is going...proof: as example I give the FOB and horse yoga as examples (only two of many) of "how things go very wrong"