Issue 9 - July2004

‘Rules of engagement’ help you become a great mentor
By Timothy Gay, DC

When I was a young boy, my brothers helped me grow up. They answered questions about life and gave me advice on various things that they had already experienced. They taught me how to read, write and tie my shoes at a very early age. They were much older than I, but they included me when they discussed things they had learned at school.

My brothers were my mentors.

Early in my practice, I was fortunate enough to have had a similar experience. I became acquainted with a doctor who was willing to teach me and help me find my own path in our profession. He helped me develop a keen sense of the fundamental duties and responsibilities that were necessary for me to succeed in practice. He did this through a disciplined and consistent approach to helping me learn.

He was my mentor.

Mentoring is a way for seasoned professionals to pass on their philosophies and learnings to those who are entering the profession. Mentoring is important. It allows us to share experiences, to cut our protégé’s learning time and to reduce the pain of learning. The goal of the mentor is to accelerate learning and teach the student, based on past experiences, good or bad.

But good mentoring is not a casual event. It is a process that takes time and involves guidelines and “rules of engagement.” Here are some of those guidelines to help you become a better mentor:

1. Set a goal. As a mentor, establish mastery — in chiropractic and in practice building — as one of your mentoring goals. In many cases your student (protégé) will end up becoming far more advanced than you, because he is not making the same mistakes you have made.

2. Set an established meeting time. Put it on your schedule and make your mentoring meeting a priority.

3. Develop an agenda. And stick with it. Write down goals and make assignments about what you and your protégé want to achieve.

4. Pick discussion topics. Each meeting should have a topic you will discuss with your protégé. For instance, topics can include practicing various techniques, philosophy, practice tips or patient management tips.

5. Lead and motivate. Set an example of being disciplined and working with intensity. The job of the mentor is to help create a higher level of performance and to enhance thinking on the part of the protégé. Peak performance is attained by being and feeling motivated.

6. Become a team. Although you are teaching the protégé, remember that she also brings much “to the table.” Teamwork allows the protégé to contribute ideas and develop a sense of equality. The freshness of your student balances your experience.

7. Communicate. Learn to give criticism in an affirming manner and help the protégé learn to be open to constructive criticism and not take it personally.

8. Check performance. Review your protégé’s work to check progress. Give appropriate feedback to him.

Spending time with someone who has already “been there and done that” is rewarding for both the mentor and student. The chance for the mentor to give of himself (or herself) to help raise the consciousness of the profession and to give insight from the past is gratifying and fulfilling. And the chance for the young doctor to learn from someone who is experienced increases the likelihood of becoming successful in his or her practice.

Perhaps the most important result of mentoring is that each person comes away a winner and attains a long-term relationship that will endure far beyond years in practice.

Dr. Timothy Gay is the founder and president of Ultimate Practice Systems, a chiropractic management and consulting company. A graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, he has been practicing for more than 20 years. He can be reached at 866-797-8366 or through his Web site, www.ultimatepracticesystems.com.