February 11, 2025

MENTORSHIP IS A SCIENCE AND AN ART: Inspire B4 You Expire

0

By Prof. Dr. Halimu Shauri

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.cin

Mentorship is an organised and systematic approach to capacity building and empowering someone to be either like or better than yourself in what you do.

It is a well organised and controlled system with detailed steps, laying the foundation for replicability.

In most cases, mentorship is a very objective and deliberate process. However, it may also not be intended in some situations and entirely subjective.

Objective or subjective process, the goal is the same – to produce a photocopy of yourself in what you engage in.

All professionals and intellectuals have a responsibility to mentor the next generation professionals and intellectuals.

Whether you do it deliberately, like some of us or accidentally, the intention must always be to inspire before you expire.

Professionals and intellectuals have what is moving the world forward. 

Imagine a situation where there is no mentorship! How do you think would be the generation that will take over?

If it happens in any profession, it means poor succession planning and management. This can lead to great instability in any industry or profession.

Those who know the value of mentorship and practice it passionately bring in the other aspect of art. The later is a way for expressing creativity, ideas, and emotions through various mediums.

The art of mentorship can manifest itself in practical activities and skills, linkage of the mentorship science and the environment, and lived experiences.

Thus, mentors can use a variety of arts to practice the science of mentorship. They can demonstrate skills and competencies, use visual arts, dramatise their professionalism, literature, and even culinary arts.

The prime agenda must always be in focus, to inspire the youth and unleash their inner motivation to work hard and take over from the mentor.

A good mentor follows the cannons of mentorship as a science as well as demonstrates mastery of the art of mentorship.

As a mentor, don’t be rigid but be flexible, humble and accessible to your mentees. You must be able to express meaning and emotions as a mentor in a way that is not only professional, but inspiring as well.

Mentorship is dry and may not be influencing intended behaviour when the mentor does not inspire and is rigid by not allowing fluidity of the mentorship process.  

Professions are dynamic and so are people, a good mentor will recognise the dynamism and incorporate it in the mentorship program. Experience and long service are key to successful mentorship. 

Thus, young mentors must take cue from those with experience and long service in the science and art. 

Finally, as a mentor, in whatever you do, give your best, give it all and always strive to inspire your mentees.

Remember each morning is a testament that you are leaving the stage. As PLO Lumumba says a good dancer knows when to leave the stage. I leave now.

Prof. Dr. Halimu Shauri 

DEAN & CONSULTANT SOCIOLOGIST 

PWANI UNIVERSITY 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *