I have never worked in the business world, instead, I worked in human service and education. I never had a mentor in that form of the word, but I did have people I could go to for advice, like fellow counselors in my office and people that worked in similar agencies as myself. But, I was never assigned a mentor or sought one out during my work as a social worker. As a substitute teacher, I am kind of an outsider. I just come in once in awhile and fill-in. But, within our district and in the state of Iowa, there is a teacher leadership program that uses teacher leaders and mentors within the district and through their education agency to offer mentoring to new and seasoned teachers. I've seen the changes in our own district over the last few years from that program and believe it has offered numerous benefits to staff and students.

In ONE MINUTE MENTORING, the authors take a fictional scenario and make it a realistic example of a mentor/mentee relationship. Blanchard, a management expert and well-known author, and Diaz-Ortiz, named on of the 100 Most Influential People in Business by Fast Company, join together to share the importance of being a mentor and being mentored. By offering the example of an overworked and stressed executive and a underachieving sales associate, many of us can identify with their struggles. This book shares how the two of them could help each other find a new passion in their careers and maybe offer some insight to inspire each of us to reach our highest potential.

As someone who hasn't worked in the business world, I was afraid I couldn't relate to the stories shared in this "parable of two employees". But, I did and found it offered me a new way to see my role as a member of the school staff, a member of the numerous boards I am on, and as a member of my community. Realizing that mentors don't have to be in the same field as the person they are mentoring was eye-opening. I assumed teachers have to mentor teachers, but not necessarily. Thinking about our own children and the paths that lie ahead of them as they approach college and careers, I hope they can find someone to offer insights and advice. Someone they can call, have lunch with, email, or check in with that will support them in a different way than a parent, co-worker, or boss would.

This book offered a simple approach to the idea of mentoring and was a very quick read, reading it in just a couple hours. If I was an employer, I would be handing this over to every new employee and making it their first assignment. Then helping them make connections to find a mentor in their life. ( )