Celebrate with Fanfare and Stories

Celebration need not be a party with band and banner; it can be as simple as a special meal together, a drink after work, a peaceful walk in a nearby park. The point of celebration, however, is to mark the end of the mentoring relationship. Celebration is a rite of passage, a powerful symbol of closure and of moving on to the next learning plateau.

A manager for a well-known West Coast software manufacturer mentioned that he was getting reports from other managers that supervisors who transferred from his department seemed to take longer than usual to adjust to their new supervisory roles. It was beginning to hurt his reputation within the organization as a supplier of competent talent. When he was asked to play back in reverse the events leading from his supervision to their new roles, it quickly became clear that their relationships with him never came to a formal end—they simply stopped. Later, when he began including the ritual of a celebrative closure on their last day under his supervision, the adjustment problems vanished.

Celebration should be rich in compliments and stories, laughter and joy. Your protégé graduate needs your blessing more than your brilliance, your good wishes more than your warnings. Avoid the temptation to lay on one last caution. Your kindest contribution will be a solid sendoff with gifts of confidence, compassion, and consideration.