Mentoring Capacity

Shamelessly piggybacking on this week's CIPD Annual Conference, which I'm not attending this year, I'm fondly remembering the four years I worked there as a Commercial Learning Consultant, and enjoyed meeting and talking with members and clients at the conference.

I've been fortunate to be a member of, and to work with, both of my professional bodies - the #CIPD and The LPI (Learning and Performance Institute). Both roles brought together the accumulated knowledge, skills and experience I gained over 35 years as a Leader in Learning & Development.

It's those years, owning and running an IT Training business, working for other training providers and developing and leading training teams in the public, private and charity sectors, that I bring to my current role as a #ProfessionalMentor.

If you're in employment and looking for an experienced, external lens on your personal and professional development, or you're looking for work in the people professions and want to understand where you could fit, and to strategise your approach, get in touch.

I offer a no-obligation introductory chat to determine where and how I could support you getting to where you want to go. If we proceed, I'll ask you to articulate what your overarching objective/s are and what success will look like in you achieving them. That's when the work starts.

Interested? Contact me in the comments here, or via my LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/niallgavin/overlay/contact-info/

Why Mentoring? Why Now?

Today (Tuesday 29th July 205), I posted an announcement on the social media channels #LinkedIn, #facebook and #Instagram advising my professional community that, at this late stage of my career, I am now offering a professional mentoring service. The posts looked like this... 

And my social media feeds blew up! 

I have been overwhelmed with the responses. In LinkedIn alone, 100+ 'likes', 49 comments and endorsements and 11 reposts; in facebook, 19 likes and 15 comments; and in Instagram, 17 likes and 7 comments - all favourable, supportive, affirming and just downright humbling. I've never had such positive reaction to anything I've posted before. 

It seems like I've hit on a professional service offering that has resonated with many. 

Indeed, I've already had several enquiries and am lining up exploratory calls with some people to see if there's a potential fit and to consider options for entering into a mentor/mentee relationship with each other. I am very excited about all of this. 

But, to my initial question: Why mentoring? Why now? 

Because I'm not done yet. Yes, I'm 'getting on a bit' now, but everything still seems to be working (don't ask), although I no longer have the stamina for commuting, nor for working 5 days a week either, thank you.

My career has spanned almost 50 years, over 35 of them in Learning and Development, but I've got even more years of lived work experience dating back to 1976 when I left drama school in Edinburgh (See my profile at the top of this blog page). 

And now, as I approach my 70th Birthday in December, it's time to slow down, look up, and focus on what I seem to have done best all through my career - support individuals and help connect them with others on their workplace journeys. 

I want to acknowledge all the brilliant, talented and generous people I have worked or interacted with professionally throughout this time, many of whom have become good friends and many of whom I have looked up to - and still do - as leaders and mentors in their own right. You know who you are. 

So for now, onwards! Work to do. People to help.

I’ll keep you posted.