Pay It Forward

Posted In: Mentors / Networking
Posted On: 8/21/2013


Whether you are 21 or 71, you know something that can help someone else. 

I’m back! Thanks for your patience over the summer as I worked on my book and had a little fun! I’m excited to refocus my attention on Jane Knows and get back to sharing the advice and insights to help you grow in your career. Before I get to the focus of today’s post, let me update you on the status of my book. I am putting the finishing touches on the chapters and plan to get final edits in the next month. With that, it’ll go to the typesetter, the printer, and finally arrive in bound and e-formats at your favorite retailers. If everything goes according to plan, it should be available by late October—just in time for the holiday season! I think it will be a great gift for someone who wants to get a fresh start on their career in 2014! Recently I had a bit of good news that helped form the basis of this post. Yesterday, I was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Women in Business by the Denver Business Journal. I feel very blessed to receive this prestigious honor. As I have been reflecting on my career and the events that led to this recognition, I feel most proud of the mentoring that I have done over the years. Interestingly, I don’t know that I have made a big difference in any one person’s life, but I feel like I have made a lot of little differences. I honestly believe that it is the little differences that can help change someone’s course for the better. Each one of us can have an impact on someone else in a positive and perhaps subtle way. Whether you are 21 or 71, you know something that can help someone else. You have had an experience that can help guide another person. Think back to a time when someone said something to you that made a difference. Perhaps it was some advice shared after you gave a presentation or some feedback in an annual review. Or maybe it was just a pat on the back for being a nice, cheerful person around the office. Funny

Think of mentoring as small acts of kindness. 

how that little recognition probably helped you stay cheerful even on the crummiest days at work! Think back to a time when you wish someone would have given you a little guidance so you didn’t have to learn it the hard way. How nice would it have been to have a little insider information before you went into that meeting with your new boss? Someone else knew that you shouldn’t take his gruff style personally, but you didn’t learn that until much later. You left the meeting thinking you had failed, when in fact, you handled him as well as anyone could have. It just didn’t feel that way. When most people think of mentoring, they immediately assume a big time commitment. That makes it seem overwhelming and not worth the trouble. I’d ask you to think of mentoring as small acts of kindness. Sharing a little something that you know can help another person on his or her journey. Paying forward a generosity given to you. No cost! No obligation! Let’s go mentoring! Jane Ps It is GREAT to be back! And, keep your eyes open for some exciting updates to the site, including guest bloggers and breaking news like the debut of my fun sleepwear line!