Generation Xers are so fiercely independent that sometimes more experienced workers assume that Xers are not interested in having mentors. The truth is that most Xers place a high value on opportunities to build lasting relationships with those in the workplace who have grown wise through experience. While information and technology have usually been Xers’ most reliable problem-solving resources, teachers have usually been Xers’ primary human supporters outside of family (and sometimes including family). Most Xers welcome the chance to create long-term bonds of loyalty with teaching managers and mentors, especially in a world where they cannot believe in long-term bonds of loyalty with established organizations.
Xers rarely turn to mentors for raw information they can find elsewhere. What Xers look for from mentors is the kind of learning that is not available from other sources:
• Someone they can look to as a role model;
• Someone who will teach them and share experiences with them;
• Someone who will care about them and help answer some of their deepest questions;
• Someone who will push them and demand more of them than they may demand of themselves;
• Someone who believes they are capable of achieving the impossible and is willing to help them do it;
• Someone who will provide them with unique opportunities to prove themselves;
• Someone who will introduce them to others;
• Someone who will value their opinions and ideas, seek their input, and learn from them.
By mentoring Xers, managers demonstrate a deep commitment and provide valuable direct support to Xers’ Self Building process and also win Xers’ most dedicated efforts. Plus, being a role model keeps the pressure on you to always be at your very best; teaching helps you think of new ways of looking at problems and solving them; and having a protégé forces you to practice your leadership skills—priority setting, communication, and motivation.