I have just come back from lunch with someone who wanted some career advise. She is just starting her career and has found the whole job-hunting process so dis-spiriting. I also remember those early days in my own career when I was caught in the in-between---when my full time job was simply to find a job. The most disheartening aspect of the whole process was taking so much time in completing application forms only to have no response back from recruiters at all- none. And so, as I was walking to this lunch appointment, I was suddenly reminded of Les Simpson, the man who inspired me so much. Two things that he did which stayed with me for 20 years. 1st was his opening workshop to the senior leaders in my company on 'mentoring'- he started his own introduction by describing all the mistakes and failures he had made in his career and how that made him uniquely suited to be a mentor. It was such a different way of showing oneself- I had never seen this happen since Les. It was so risky and unusual that my HR Director felt it was necessary for her to step in and smooth over the fact that he had 'run himself down' instead of introducing himself in the usual pump-up fashion. I must say, I was also initially shocked but that initial reaction was followed swiftly by an amazing feeling of awe. 2nd thing that has stayed with me all these years is his generosity. He told me 'give, give and give' where you can and whenever you can. He gave his time and contacts to me generously when I was a nascent consultant, having just stepped off the organisational treadmill. Whenever I spent time with him, he always gave me so much encouragement and told me over and over that I already had all the consulting experience I needed and that it was not so different being an external consultant than an internal one.
Sadly, Les is no longer alive but his spirit live on in me. And so, this lunchtime, I was glad and grateful for the opportunity this person gave me- for being able to give forward just a little of what I experienced so many years ago. It's a real privilege.
