Mentors – what do they do – what are they supposed to do?

Again Linkedin is my friend.   I was asked a couple of questions and asked to write another blog!  Woohoo!  Yes, yet another blog.   What a great idea?  You are probably thinking – isn’t she done yet.   Well I will be when I run out of ideas!

What I did when I was a mentor?

Not anything different than before I was a mentor.   That’s a bad answer.  A better answer, I wrote blogs, met upper management, answered questions.  And tried to comment on blogs.  So pretty much what I started doing again.

My idea would be find something you are excited about from the SAP world.   Once you’ve found that, then use it to help you be positive about your area.   That will make other’s excited because you are.   If you see others in the hall at SAP events try to make them fee welcome.

So when I was a mentor, not many people new about mentors.  So my idea was to get out there with the community.   At teched – I introduced myself.  I asked if anyone at the table knew about the mentor program.  Sadly only a few people did.   So I gave them my short answer “mentor’s help”.   I also told them mentor’s can answer about any questions you have.   If they don’t know the answer odds are pretty good that a different mentor would.  And I told them how easy it was to spot one in the blue shirt.

I co-organized an SIT.   What fun!   Free training.   There may be a small fee for lunch, but it was free training for an entire day.   I was lucky to have BI experts with me.   So there was always something going on for different jobs.

I worked with other mentors to start a e-mail for mentor “magazine” highlighting what mentors did.  As far as I know that never was well liked.

What does being a mentor do for me?

I was in a better place of influence.   Mentors should be able to feel the communities issues.  One of the things that I had to do as well.   So as I met with the SAP higher ups – I should have been influencing or at least giving ideas about the current changes/enhancements that would be great to have. I didn’t do good at that.  But just the access to the execs was an experience that was amazing.

I did get a free ticket to SAP Teched.  There were meetings going on with mentors and execs.  My company paid for my  travel and meals.  So I had to balance the needs of my company with the mentor meetings. So I went to sessions and learned something that I could pass on.

Being an active mentor helped me find my next job.   (My current job) It showed that I was willing to share my knowledge.  I was also found in searches.  And OK yes, presenting at Teched helped too.   And the interview, and the resume.   It all came together in a package that they nicely decided to hire.

What does being a mentor do for my company?

It made them aware I had help at my finger tips.  I also let them know I could help influence the direction of SAP.   And there was always the the SAP Teched ticket.   They liked that.

Mentors have many meetings.  Those meetings discuss many different things.   And trust me you will learn at least one thing from being a mentor.   You learn then you share.   Your company is again happy.

What are Mentor’s supposed to do?

I’m not sure.   I don’t think anyone really is.   It means something different to each of us.

Help. Be active. The official link.

Keep the community relevant. 

Do I miss being a mentor?

One word – yes.

Side note:

Mentors are in different areas of expertise.  AND surprise they talk to each other.   So they may not know how to help you, but they can point you in the right direction.   Try to take some time – if you see the blue shirt to talk with them to share ideas.   If it is a negative about just about anything SAPish that mentor can either take it upon his or her self to share the information in various different ways.   Or it could be given to a different mentor.   Remember, this is open to the community.   It’s worth going to.  If you don’t like something.   Type, message, or rant about it.

Another side note:

There is an all night long virtual training on various subjects live.   It is October 17 at 14:00 GMT .  This will benefit Las Vegas.   Check out the blog to see an awesome line up.