Brad Lomenick gave me a cause to pause the other day with his post about developing credibility; I have honestly been thinking about this a lot, and one thing in particular that he didn’t mention.
Brad says it this way:
C = T x (E + E). Credibility = Time (times) Experience + Expertise.
I think he’s right. In addition he adds these points to consider:
- Listen. Simple enough
- Find those who are smarter than you, and latch on. Learn from them.
- Become an expert before you need to be– when you are asked for your opinion or involvement, give it or do it.
- Self awareness and self identity- know who you are. You are young- deal with it. Don’t think you know more than you really do.
- Stay focused, but broad. Those who have the most credibility no longer are just experts in one area. You need to be a generalist.
- Learn how to follow. And follow really well. It will position you for authority later.
Yup. The only thing I might have issue (and just a contextual-based one) is that specifically in web technology it’s almost impossible to an expert in more than one area; perhaps that’s arguable though.
But what I’d add is one additional point that has deeply impacted my thinking and that is moral authority. I feel, personally, that the men and women that I deem to have amazing credibility and influence in my life also strive to be completely above reproach in all that they do.
Moral authority takes time, and no matter what I do in terms of web development, etc. I can lose my credibility in an instant if my moral compass takes a turn south.
Let’s spend as much time building our character and moral authority/credibility as we are coding stuff for our ministries.
Anything you’d add?
[Image from Kahuna]
klreed189 says
Thanks for the link to the post, the reminder, and the call to moral authority.
Being 23 is hard to deal with. I am not a kid anymore, but I don't feel like an adult. I am at that point where I am getting ready to choose a career but it is still very raw and new. It is one of the most confusing and frustrating places I have been in a little while. I feel like Jeremiah when he was thrown in a pit of mud and his only companion was God. I feel stuck in the mud and unable to move.
One question I wonder John and others, do the young guys need to seek out the training and mentoring or should we let that seek us out? I feel weird asking someone to mentor me, like I am a burden, but I also feel like I really really need their guidance, what do you think?
nerrad says
Young guys, SEEK OUT mentors and training! Don't be afraid to ask those you would like to mentor/coach you! Usually (not always, but usually) there are already people in your life who could function in that role. Who are individuals that have influenced you or that you are being influenced by now? Be specific when you ask too, How much time are you hoping the mentor can give to you? What kind of investment are you willing to put into the mentoring relationship (in terms of time and effort)?
Another thing, having a mentor/coach is not just a "young person" thing. I think it's important to always be seeking out those with more "credibility" (in terms of the equation being discussed here than you to assist in your growth as an individual. It fits in with the whole "discipleship" paradigm that Jesus modeled.
nerrad says
Young guys, SEEK OUT mentors and training! Don't be afraid to ask those you would like to mentor/coach you! Usually (not always, but usually) there are already people in your life who could function in that role. Who are individuals that have influenced you or that you are being influenced by now? Be specific when you ask too, How much time are you hoping the mentor can give to you? What kind of investment are you willing to put into the mentoring relationship (in terms of time and effort)?
Another thing, having a mentor/coach is not just a "young person" thing. I think it's important to always be seeking out those with more "credibility" (in terms of the equation being discussed here) than you to assist in your growth as an individual. It fits in with the whole "discipleship" paradigm that Jesus modeled.
human3rror says
kyle,
i think you bring up a great point and i know exactly what you're feeling since i (and many others) have been right there with you at one point in time.
i think mentorship/discipleship is very under-utilized. we all could use a little more.
perhaps it's a combination of seeking out and simply being available (mentee/mentor). perhaps we can create a better environment where that can happen…
klreed189 says
I think you are right in the fact that we can create a better environment. I had a lot of profs in college tell me that the best mentors they had were all dead, meaning classic early Christian authors. I understand what they are saying, but I almost want to tell them that we have plenty of good mentors that are alive, they just don't seem to want to be mentors.
I am finding a lot of mentoring through the interwebs. Sites like yours and other great blogs as well as twitter are great resources for guys like me to learn and soak things up. I just don't want to always be a sponge, I want to give to others. That is part of the goal behind my blog, is to be a resource, but I feel like I have a lot of growing to do. I just don't want to wake up at 36 and feel like i missed it, I missed great opportunities.
@adamrshields says
I do think that the "best mentors are dead" line is a cop out. I explicately ask a couple of professors in college to be mentors and they turned me down. That has happened a couple times since college as well. But now that I am in my mid 30s I still need mentors just as much. Although what I have found is better peer relationships. Peer relationship, especially when you both have something to offer the other are a great option, when our elders are just not stepping up to the plate.
But we also need to lead by example and seek out others that need mentoring.
human3rror says
well said. thanks for joining this small but healthy community kyle!
klreed189 says
Thanks for the link to the post, the reminder, and the call to moral authority.
nerrad says
Point 3 "Stay focused, but broad" – I agree with you here, John when it comes to the difficulty of doing this applied to web technology. However, I think it is still possible to be a expert in one or two things and be really familiar with other things – that contributes to greater credibility.
Agree with you on the moral authority. One bad choice, or a series of small choices leading you south on the moral compass and you can pretty much kiss your credibility good by. Here's what I think the credibility equation looks like with Moral Authority in it.
C = MA(T x (E+E))
Jim says
i'm not only mentoring, but being mentored from different mentors, i.e. ministry/leadership; business development. Just ask. i've got 4 mentees that I am meeting with monthly. 2 offline and 2 online.
both sides of mentoring are key for me right now. Brad's post mentions the 25 year old club…I'm 40 and I'm still seeking out mentors. It doesn't stop.