MENTORING

Through the years when I’d run a committee or an organization, I would always try to teach other members how to do my job. I guess you could say I was a mentor.

As an example, when I ran a large costume ball, during the second year I found a co-chair who would work with me and learn how to run the event the following year so that I could step down. I was always available to give direction if needed.

I did the same thing when running the musicians hospitality committee for the local jazz festival. As part of the yearlong Task Force, I learned how to find free food for two hundred or more artists which was part of their contracts over the course of four days. After visiting restaurants and grocery stores as well as the venders, who contracted to sell their restaurant food in booths at the event, I was able to get donated food. When I decided to step down as chair after being on the committee for seven years, and running it for four of those years, I found a co-chair who would work with me to handle the following year’s event.

The same is true of the card, singing and theater groups which ended up as my responsibility. I always felt that it was necessary to have a successor for any position I’ve held. I never felt the necessity of staying with a group just because I was elected or asked to run it. I’ve always been happy to go on to something different.

If only politicians would feel the same way. It’s not necessary to stay in office because they feel no one else can do it better or maybe until their sons or daughters could get enough recognition to run for the same office when Dad left the government with a lovely retirement plan.

People with enormous egos never learn when to let go.