At work we are encouraged to mentor others. Pay it forward. Pay it back. Nurture tomorrow's talent. There are programs to encourage mentoring.
But there are some serious drawbacks to mentoring. One is that it has no value. Correct, no value. In the posting 'Why are mentors worthless' the author reveals the results of his survey, mentoring does not get rewarded at most companies.
Another down side to mentoring is when you are trying to be helpful and end up just getting used. Sometimes people will suck you dry, then claim all that you gave them is their own original thought and experience. Hard to believe but true. The most unlikely result of being a mentor is getting any type of meaningful reward at all whether it be an economic reward, recognition for your contributions or gratitude from your mentee.
It seems so obvious that it should hardly be worth writing about, except that it is not obvious at all. People who know very little and speak very well can pass off your ideas as their own quite easily. And if you are trained to be helpful, then it can be difficult to notice when helping crosses the line to being walked all over.
Protect yourself mentors. Protect yourselves. Take care of your work first. Don't stay late because you spent the day helping others. Don't give all of your ideas away for free.
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