So in the past year or two, my institution has started setting up mentoring relationships. I think this has been mostly Boss' initiative, but I could be wrong about that. Anyway. Boss was meant to find me a mentor last summer or even last spring, but he didn't get around to doing it until recently. I met with Mentor today, and it's really funny, but I felt like a bull in a china shop around him.
Boss is great and has taught me a lot because he's very productive and gets a ton done, but he's also calm and quiet, and very kind. During our earlier conversations, Boss asked me to suggest a few people who might be mentors, and based on my limited conversations with senior colleagues, I threw out a few names. Boss picked none of these people, and assigned a stranger to me, who, as it turns out, is even calmer and quieter than Boss is.
I suppose it stands to reason that I would've talked to more extroverted colleagues if I'm meeting people in hallways, and will more than likely missed getting to know the more introverted ones because us introverts prefer to escape unnoticed.
But I'm really glad, first, that I finally have an official mentor who seems sensible, has integrity, and seems eager to help. And second, I'm thankful I have a mentor who reminds me through his bearing, speech, and temperament that I may benefit from slowing down and speaking more carefully.
(My writing needs to be snappier, louder, and more forceful, but I could carry myself a little differently.)
Boss is great and has taught me a lot because he's very productive and gets a ton done, but he's also calm and quiet, and very kind. During our earlier conversations, Boss asked me to suggest a few people who might be mentors, and based on my limited conversations with senior colleagues, I threw out a few names. Boss picked none of these people, and assigned a stranger to me, who, as it turns out, is even calmer and quieter than Boss is.
I suppose it stands to reason that I would've talked to more extroverted colleagues if I'm meeting people in hallways, and will more than likely missed getting to know the more introverted ones because us introverts prefer to escape unnoticed.
But I'm really glad, first, that I finally have an official mentor who seems sensible, has integrity, and seems eager to help. And second, I'm thankful I have a mentor who reminds me through his bearing, speech, and temperament that I may benefit from slowing down and speaking more carefully.
(My writing needs to be snappier, louder, and more forceful, but I could carry myself a little differently.)
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