It Takes a Village of Mentors to Be Successful in Business and at Work

The Best men and I just finished a week of camp at the Ferry Beach Park Association in Saco, Maine.  It was our second year there.  Joel and I reprised our roles, respectively,  as Art Track Counselor and Drama Track Counselor for the High School division; Noah spent his first year in the Middle School Division, also known as Different Drummers.

One of Noah’s counselors approached me at breakfast mid-week to let me know that Noah had experienced an upset typical of camp life.  Dan assured me that Noah was okay, and that Dan’s co-counselor, Cody, had spent two hours talking to him the night before about the upset, including but not limited to sharing his own similar camp upset experience with Noah, and how Cody had handled the upset when it happened to him.  I was initially concerned; then relieved; and then, exceedingly grateful for these two good men, who more than aptly supported our son when he was upset, sharing their experience, strength and hope, and then navigated Noah to a place where he could move forward from the upset, and enjoy the rest of the week at camp.  I was also grateful that these two male mentors had given Noah their relatively objective perspectives, feedback and coaching as well as their time, worth their weight in gold to Noah’s life journey.  Noah is at the age where, while he loves us as his parents, he does not consider us as objective sounding boards when he experiences a similar struggle, e.g.:  you’re my parents, you have to love me no matter what.

Later that same day, I mentioned that Noah was upset to one of my high school campers, Seth.  Noah, an only child, looks up to Seth as a big-brother figure. Seth smiled at me.  “I know, Noah already told me what happened.”  I was again relieved.  “What did you tell him?” Seth smiled again.  “I told him about the time it happened to me, and I how I handled it and got through it.  I think it helped him.”  Again, I was exceedingly grateful for this third wonderful man who coached my son with care through his upset.  “Thank you,” I replied.  “I really appreciate that you were there for Noah too.”  For the balance of the week, Noah fully participated in camp activities, including but not limited to starring in the Different Drummers original play.

At the end of the week, as we were stuck on the Berkshire Spur for an hour behind an accident on our way home, Noah finally told us about his earlier upset at camp himself.  We told him how grateful we were for the three men in our camp community who were there to support him in his time of need, and how wonderful it was to be part of a community where that type of mentoring support is not only welcomed, but also encouraged.

Are you part of the village of mentors supporting the success of all, in business and at work? And how has that village of mentors contributed to your own success?