W
hether you’re at the beginning, middle or end of your career, connecting with a mentor can change your work life in ways you may never have thought possible.
When you’re at a phase of your career that requires the development of new knowledge, skills or attitudes, someone who is more established and better connected can offer crucial assistance.
Mentoring can take many different
forms, ranging from regular face-to- face meetings arranged by a workplace mentoring program to informal rela- tionships that people naturally and spontaneously develop throughout their careers. On the other hand, experts agree
that the roles of mentor and mentee are quite standardized and that the most successful mentor/mentee rela- tionships result when there is a clear understanding of these roles:
The best mentees take responsibil-
ity for their own learning, approach each interaction with specific ques- tions or even an agenda, have realis- tic expectations and are respectful of their mentor’s time
The best mentors start the relation-
ship with an informal needs assess- ment; set goals mutually; listen, then ask, then advise; and ensure that men- tees make their own decisions.
» W
hen I discovered at my very first job that one of my re- sponsibilities would be to
teach group exercise classes and over- see the program I really panicked—I was a sporty outdoorsy type and had never instructed group fitness class- es. Fortunately, at university I had briefly witnessed activity leader John Henderson teach a hugely popular “aer- obics class” to students and staff. He was an up and coming star in the fitness industry who later went on to launch Activetics, a fitness resource company. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was the instructor for the Fitness Ontario Leadership Program that I had immediately registered for on getting the job. What a coincidence and a lucky break! Over the years I spoke with him on the phone, took other courses from him, purchased equipment, books, post- ers and resources from him. He was so wonderful to me and so inspiring and helpful . When I later opened an aerobics stu-
dio, I met Joanne Witt (now McLean) at a meeting. She owned a similar studio in nearby, so we clicked immediately. Four
Get Connected
Futurpreneur Canada (
futurpreneur.ca) is a national, non-profit organization that provides financing, mentoring and sup- port tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. The program hand matches young entrepreneurs with a business ex- pert from a network of more than 2,800 volunteer mentors.
years later, she recommended me for a job. She was briefly my boss and then a colleague who I could always turn to for advice. I admired her for her fitness leadership skills and for her expertise as a manager, supporting and helping her staff to be our best. Later when she opened an executive coaching business, I took formal training from her which helped me envision how I could launch my current business. Yet one more mentor, though I never
met her, has been Jane Fonda. I bought copies of her first book, and my staff and students watched her then-revolution- ary videos. I incorporated her ideas into my programming. She was a true role model for those of us who wanted a seri- ous fitness workout. Today she is still in- fluencing me: I regularly recommend her latest book, Prime Time, which encour- ages us to not see life as an arc, where at some point we are “over the hill," but rather as a staircase that we are always ascending as healthy active adults.
Mandy Johnson Active By Nature Canmore, Alberta
November/December 2017 Fitness Business Canada 21
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