Learning from others- How effective is that?
We are being given a lot of advice by many, but we don't follow all, do we?
Because we tend to question the effectiveness of it. In fact, we follow it only when the ones who are teaching are themselves following it. A lot of things we learn are by seeing others; we inculcate a lot of them when we see their outcome of it. So, this process of learning from others is always put in question by us to check if it is really useful for us.
Let’s say your manager is not good at speaking English, but he is encouraging you to work on English speaking skills and providing some tips for improvement, would you take it?
How good is Learning from others?
“Practice what you preach” is one of the most known and referred quotes in our daily lives. It pushes you to be the flagbearer of words you speak, and advice you give to others. This gives you confidence when you are advising others. Also, others will consider your suggestions proactively, when you yourself follow them.
On another note, when we do not practice what we speak, we directly or indirectly receive backlash while helping others implement your suggestions.
But as a receiver of these suggestions, should the former person strictly practice it, for you to follow it?
The answer is ‘No’
Why?
To start with, as a receiver, you will gain more confidence if the mentor (who provides suggestions) gives you the advice that the mentor practices. But, this may not be practical always. The mentor may not be good at practicing due to his own limitations but must be giving good ideas and approaches to follow. Sometimes, the mentor may not have favorable conditions or may not be in a relevant position to handle such ideas.
But, these factors should not hinder you to take these suggestions offered by your mentor and implement them for your needs. You just need to validate the suggestion and see if it fits your needs. Irrespective of what is being told and the caliber of the mentor, if your focus is on understanding the suggestion, many of your problems can be solved.
Check Why you need not be perfect to be a leader?
Suggestion for the Mentor:
If you are not practicing, explain the reasons for not practicing the suggestions and how your suggestions can work for the mentee. This will help the mentee think constructively.
Remember:
If ‘practice what you preach’ has to be strictly followed, Champions cannot be mentored, because the mentor should have been Super-champion. How many cases have we seen such cases to date?
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