**MONTORING FOR SUCCESS**

Mentoring for success
FEEL LOST AT WORK AND NOT ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE PATH FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER? CONFUSED ABOUT A CAREER DECISION? HERE COMES THE ROLE OF A MENTOR WHO COULD SUPPORT YOU AND LEAD YOU TO THE RIGHT PATH… The word ‘mentor’ has evolved from the Greek classic - Odyssey. The story goes that the Greek Goddess of learning, Athena, took the form of a half-male and halffemale, called Mentor to nurture the young prince, Telemachus, and to protect him from the enemies within the state. And it was since then, people who are experts in their field and are enthusiastic about helping others in developing their skills and competencies are referred to as mentors. Just like the story, mentoring today plays a very important role in today's India Inc. "Mentoring helps in achieving emotional maturity and resilience,” says Desikamani, founder and director, Mentor Learning Services Dr Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research notes, “A mentor could be someone you work with who is at a higher stage of his/her career than you are. Perhaps, they are your manager or someone who you have worked with in the past. Mentor takes you under his wings and provides advice to help you move your career in the right direction.” But mentoring is not only about supervising a person’s task and or giving some training. It is more about working with a person in a supportive manner and providing a right direction in life, both personally and professionally. As Desikamani puts it, “There are many situations in a person’s career when clarity eludes him/her. Decisions need to be taken and people look for that extra emotional support, a little piece of wisdom etc. to ensure that they are on the right track. A mentor precisely provides that.” “Mentoring helps one to get a balanced view of situations free from emotions and enables timely and objective career decisions. “It also helps in achieving emotional maturity and resilience,” adds Desikamani. A Helping hand Salunkhe, says that he has had multiple mentors who helped him in his career progression. “Prof. Y K Bhushan, one of the best academicians in the country has been a mentor to me as I have built my career in the field of higher education. I have learnt from him how critical it is to remain involved in the larger scheme of things, going beyond one institution to a larger goal of how one needs to play a role as the head of a renowned institution in nation building," he says. In the end, a mentor can help his/her mentee reach new heights with the right guidance and support. So, if you feel stuck at your job and need help, look out for a mentor as he/she can help you achieve the right success