Bad Mentor Models: Alex the All-Knowing

Once again, this week I am writing about some people that you might have to deal with at work, folks who might be designated or see themselves as mentors but who you should do your best to avoid or overcome in order to keep your hands on the wheel of your career. This week I’m focusing on another category called the Mismatched Mentors.

Alex the All-Knowing might seem like an ideal mentor. When I say “all-knowing,” I mean it in a positive sense: Alex can be an incredible resource when it comes to your job, your environment, you name it. However, there’s a risk that, in trying to help you, Alex might become stretched too thin, inadvertently limiting the support they can offer. It’s a reality that when someone has a lot to offer, many other people will seek to benefit from their expertise, just as you do.

While working with Alex can ultimately lead to a positive experience, it’s worth noting that over-reliance on someone like Alex the All-Knowing could lead to a dependency that might limit your personal growth. If your first instinct is always to go to Alex for help, you might miss opportunities to develop your own problem-solving skills.

There is another, more extreme version of Alex the All-Knowing. You might encounter a mentor like Alex who despite their brilliance and expertise, is less approachable.  This type of Alex might have a wealth of knowledge, but little patience for questions and intolerance of mistakes. Your relationship with your mentor would be damaged if you are too intimidated to seek guidance from them.

Have you had to deal with Alex the All-Knowing or somebody like that, meant to mentor but unable to meet your needs?

Come back tomorrow and I’ll share some ideas about how to deal with these missing mentors.

What do you think?

See you Wednesday with recognition of a special birthday, and more bad mentor models on Thursday.

#mentoring #badmentors