My guest blogger today is my friend, colleague, former client and one of the BEST Instructional Designers and Trainers I have ever met– Greg Rider. Here he is with his colleague and friend Dawn Mahoney,and they are in front of the tropical foliage at Sea World, while attending the American Socieity of Training and Development conference this year in Orlando, Florida.
Mentoring – the concept and the term – seems to be making an appearance a lot these days: in seminars, in books, articles, and websites. Is it the latest “corporate buzzword” or industry fad among the learned and powerful? Or is it a meaningful idea that can find relevance in a number of contexts and settings? I believe it can be all of the above! I recently had the privilege to serve as an informal mentor for someone who was attending ASTD’s annual International Conference and Expo for the 1sttime. (This year it was held in Orlando, FL, from May 20-25.) Boasting an attendance of over 8,000 industry professionals from all over the world, the Conference can be exhilarating, educational, and full of outstanding networking options. But it also can be overwhelming. So, I was glad to be able to share some tips to better navigate the entire Conference Experience with Shawn Richcreek, Director of Field Training with BevMo!, based in Chino Hills, CA. He was able to meet some of the folks who helped me with my early Conference experiences, and learn how to make the most of his learning experience for the week. For me, this mentoring experience allowed me to implement some of my own tips, further polish my mentoring skills, and meet a new professional colleague!
What about you? You don’t need to wait until the next Big Event to serve as a mentor or ask to be mentored. What areas of expertise and experience are you able to share with others in your workplace, in your community, in your friends and family network? Are there experiences or skills that you’d like some help from a mentor? Now’s the time to give mentoring a try!
For a 4-minute overview of the ASTD International Conference and Expo held this past May in Orlando, FL, click on the link below. I appear around mark 3:50, talking about my experience as a mentor.
Greg S. Rider, CPLP
New York, NY
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