Why Many No Longer Value Mentorship

The word 'Mentorship' can be broken into two: 'Mentor' and 'ship'. 

A mentor is a trusted teacher, counsellor or leader who guides and imparts knowledge or skills into a mentee, also known as student, learner or follower. 

The 'ship' which forms the suffix of the word, mentorship, is simply a means of transportation on water. 

Therefore, it is safe to say that, mentorship is a journey from being a learner to a master. 

Without mincing words, the culture of mentorship in our generation is becoming a thing of the past. Many now see mentorship as archaic for several reasons, and now prefer to stay without having a mentor.

Some of the many reasons why mentorship is no longer considered important, especially to the Youths of this generation are:

1. Past Negative Experiences: Some prefer to stay without a mentor because their 'once upon a time' mentor later turned out to become their 'tormentors'. Rather than building their mentees, they took advantage of them. 

Some mentees are used as slaves all in the name of submitting to a coach. The truth is, many Youths don't like to be treated as slaves; they too demand some respect from their mentors. And when this is lost, they quit and consider mentorship as a form of slavery. 

Those having ugly experiences with their former mentors now discourage others from getting involved in mentorship.

2. Ego: One major reason why the culture of mentorship is going into extinction today is ego. 

Many are not ready to submit to any mentor. They assume they know all. 

Ego could come as a result of one's academic attainment, financial or leadership status in the society, intelligence and other secular achievements. 

Someone who feels he has attained great feat could find it difficult to learn from a School boy. 

Inability to bury one's ego is one of the reasons why many are no longer embracing the culture of mentorship.

3. Selfishness: This is on the part of those who should have become mentors to people who look up to them. 

Many potential mentors are selfish and will not want others to grow. 

Volunteering to help people grow to become like them or even better than them is a problem. They feel it can reduce their self worth when a mentee finally gets to their level, or probably promote rivalry or competition in the same industry. 

They'd prefer to keep vital things secret from their followers. This also is killing the spirit of mentorship in our generation.

4. Mentors Unavailability: We are in a generation where almost everybody is always busy with one thing or the other. 

Oftentimes, mentors don't have time for their mentees, which is greatly affecting the culture of mentorship negatively. In this case, there are ready mentees who are willing to submit and learn, but their chosen mentors don't have time for them. As this continues, the mentee drops unconsciously and the mentor-mentee relationship gets fractured.

Should we continue this way, knowing the importance of mentorship to individuals and the society? 

What can be done to preserve the culture of mentorship? 

Here are few suggestions for consideration:

1. Forget past hurtful experiences and get a good mentor who will not only serve as your coach, but also respect you and your potential. 

People should as well concentrate more on the strengths of their mentors than concentrating on their flaws.

2. Everyone should bury their ego. We must learn to be submissive to become successful in our chosen career. 

Submission does not, in anyway, reduce your age or status, it only gives you the opportunity to grow beyond your present level.

3. Leaders should be selfless. You grow as your followers grow. 

If you have been taught, rise to teach others. Don't keep the secret of your success to yourself. 

Mentor as many as you can in the spirit of volunteerism. Derive joy in building others.

4. Mentors should create time for their mentees in order to build a strong relationship and sustain the culture of mentorship. 

Creating time for your mentees out of your busy schedules is a sign of love and respect for them. 

5. And lastly, the upcoming generation should be taught the importance of mentorship and why they need to continue with the culture. 

Parents should serve as the first mentors to their wards, even before they're exposed to the outside world.

© Sunday Akinrelere