10 Ways to be a More Strategic Leader

1. Practice “what’s possible” thinking. Don’t limit to yourself based on previous failures. Practice using the phrase “up until now…”


2. Avoid the temptation to jump to the quick fix when solving a problem. In many cases, speed and simplicity can serve you well, but if overused, can limit your strategic alternatives.

3. Learn and practice the characteristics of strategic thinkers:
- Curiosity: You’re genuinely interested in what’s going on in your unit, company, industry, and wider business environment.
- Flexibility: You’re able to adapt approaches and shift ideas when new information suggests the need to do so.
- Future focus: You constantly consider how the conditions in which your group and company operate may change in the coming months and years. And you keep an eye out for opportunities that may prove valuable in the future—as well as threats that may be looming.
- Positive outlook: You view challenges as opportunities, and you believe that success is possible. - Openness: You welcome new ideas from supervisors, peers, employees, and outside stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and business partners. You also take criticism well by not reacting in a defensive manner.
- Breadth: You continually work to broaden your knowledge and experience, so you can see connections and patterns across seemingly unrelated fields of knowledge.

4. Start using strategic language. If you want to be seen as strategic, you have to learn how to talk strategically. Read the latest books, magazines, or blogs on strategy and learn the jargon of strategy and big picture thinking.


5. Broaden your perspective. Being strategic requires that you know a little about a lot of things, not just having deep expertise in your narrow specialty. Learn not only about all aspects of your business and industry, but stay abreast of the world around you.

6. Be willing to take risks and fail. Strategy is one of the most uncertain things leaders do. It involves speculation, ambiguity, and creatively. Strategies will always be second-guessed, and can often be wrong. Develop a thick skin, or otherwise accept a role as a tactical leader.

7. Learn to think more creatively. See “10 Tips for Creative Thinking”.


8. Volunteer to serve on a strategic planning committee of a community organization or non profit board.

9. Understand your company’s and department’s strategy. Do whatever it takes to understand the corporate strategy and how it affects your department’s strategy. Talk with your boss and peer managers, examine annual reports and other company publications, and listen to your CEO’s speeches.


10. Learn to appreciate and respect strategy and those that are good at it. Some people just aren't comfortable with the future, big picture, creative thinking, and possibility thinking. They see it as B.S. and a waste of time. While it’s true many strategies don’t work out as planned, the ones that do often lead to breakthrough results.

What Rock Stars Can Teach Leaders

From the May 15 online Business Week. I knew there had to be a connection between rock and roll and my job. Now I can justify putting my favorite music clips on my site (see sidebar, "what's on my Ipod").

For both groups, flexibility, adaptive capacity, and ability to perform are of paramount importance
by Robert J. Thomas

Business leaders are often compared to performing artists. Both are on stage a great deal and are expected to sway audiences. The best leaders and performers often rely on dramatic flair to ensure that what they say is memorable and moves others to action (whether that means buying a new CD or a stock offering). And, given the importance of interaction between performer and audience, leaders, like musicians, must be able to "read the house" and tune their message to engage listeners, whether they number one or 100,000.

That's why most business leaders could learn valuable lessons from performers like Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, and Alicia Keys. They are proof that consummate performance demands two qualities: an extraordinary dedication to practice and an insatiable thirst for learning. For example, Clapton has practiced relentlessly throughout his life, even during what he refers to as his "dark times" of drug and alcohol abuse. With the dedication of an aspiring novice, he rehearses chords and phrases, moves his fingers through the air when there is no instrument at hand, and improvises before, during, and after stage performances.

Likewise, Simon and Keys see no distinction between performance and practice; they are intrinsically the same process. The spontaneity of improvisation and the seeming magic of composition on the fly are the product of countless hours of practice.

Practice, Practice, Practice
For Clapton, practice isn't limited to a set of songs he's planning on performing. Instead, practice includes repetition of the underlying chords, finger placements, and movements of wrist and hand that enable him to play any song. A performing artist must master underlying moves to accomplish with ease the complicated combinations that create a sound, an effect, or an image for the audience.

The lesson for leaders? First is the recognition that there are leadership "moves" that have to be mastered. Some may be unique to particular organizations or cultures but most are well-known and, like guidebooks to music and magic, any of a hundred books can list for you the things that leaders do, including setting goals and communicating them, listening deeply, testing for understanding, and inspiring others.

Of course, simply knowing what the basics are won't make someone a leader, any more than acquiring a guitar will make him or her a rock star. That's why the second lesson is more challenging: dedication to practice. Leaders in business and government commonly complain that they are performing all the time and have no time to practice. For many, the very notion of practice is off-putting. It's almost a punishment, or an activity for beginners.

Because they harbor a negative concept of practice, many leaders find themselves "stuck" in a given style of performance—a limited repertoire of behavior patterns that they rely on to get things done as a leader, whether it's the very public side of leadership (such as speechmaking) or the less public side (like giving feedback or addressing difficult decisions). If you can't find time to practice, it will be difficult to achieve the kind of flexibility that Dan Goleman attributes to those with high levels of emotional intelligence and that Noel Tichy says is demanded by changes in the global economy. Unless you are satisfied with stagnation or ensconced in a protected backwater, the only way out for time-starved executives is to learn how to practice while they perform.

Ceaseless Quest for Perfection
To illustrate the concept, consider the career of Paul Simon. While practicing and rehearsing, he's also performing, constantly thinking about how to project sound and imagery to an audience. He's notorious for testing the endurance of band members, technicians, and engineers until they get the sound just right. In the midst of performance, he's also practicing, adjusting what he and his band are doing in response to the audience's mood. The ability to see oneself in action and to adjust as one goes along is fundamental to the extraordinary stage presence of artists as diverse as Simon, Clapton, Bette Midler, and Bruce Springsteen.

Clapton, Simon, and dozens of other outstanding performers and leaders I've studied have discovered how they learn best and how that learning can fuel their growth. In my book Crucibles of Leadership, I refer to this as a Personal Learning Strategy—a highly effective combination of aspiration, a deep understanding of personal motivation, and a keen insight into one's own learning style.

A Personal Learning Strategy is not just a handful of maxims or homilies about what makes a great leader or an eminent performer. Rather, it's the product of deep reflection on what one truly wants to accomplish that's translated into a guide to individual practice. But aspiration is not enough. It's essential to also draw the curtains back on one's own motivations: What's necessary for me to stick with something, even when the drudgery of practice seems to offer no immediate improvement?

And, finally, there's the question of how you actually incorporate new ideas and ways of doing things into your persona. Especially important is how you convert experience—particularly times of trial and adversity that call into question closely held truths—into insight about what it takes to learn and grow

Learning from Your Crisis
In commenting on his autobiography, Clapton conceded that he grappled with writing about aspects of his life—in particular, his addictions and the loss of his son—but realized readers would want to know how he survived and how those experiences shaped his music. Clapton's crucible stories contain revelations shared by leaders who have found themselves challenged by blocked opportunities and hounded by tragedies.

Highly regarded business leaders such as Muriel Siebert, who become the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, and Jeff Wilke, senior vice-president at Amazon.com (AMZN), who had to learn to help heal a factory community in the wake of an industrial accident, used their crucibles to fashion an approach to leadership that places the willingness to learn at its core. They found a way in which adversity could make them more effective learners for the rest of their lives.

Flexibility and adaptive capacity are important to rock stars and leaders in another way: Without the willingness to grow and learn, both are likely to find themselves left behind. It is one thing to produce a successful album or organization, but it's quite another to keep up with an evolving genre, with technology, or with audience taste without sacrificing personal integrity. Great performers and leaders retain familiar refrains and signature sounds that provide continuity, even while they incorporate new rhythms and messages.

Finally, there's the paradoxical leadership lesson to be learned from performers as young as Alicia Keys and as weathered as Neil Young: the power of silence. Silence can create anticipation, it can stir the imagination, it can provide a chance to breathe and reflect, and, as artists like Keys and Young have described, it can bring out the best in a performer. Next time you see them perform, notice how they keep the audience waiting and build their expectations. Notice, too, how the audience's anticipation encourages the performers to raise their level of play. In that silence lies a powerful understanding of others and of oneself—an understanding that grows rather than diminishes with time.

Robert J. Thomas is executive director of the Accenture Institute for High Performance Business based in Boston and the John R. Galvin Professor of Leadership at the Fletcher School of International Affairs at Tufts University. He writes, teaches, and consults about leadership and transformational change. His newest book, Crucibles of Leadership: How to Learn from Experience to Be a Great Leader, has been hailed by Harvard's Rosabeth Kanter as "a guide for aspiring leaders in all walks of life" and by Wharton's Mike Useem as "an organizational playbook for transforming managers into leaders." .

12 Steps to Boost Your Leadership Self-Confidence

Marshall Golsdsmith has a post over at “Ask the Coach”, (Harvard Business Review) addressing a question from a reader:

What advice do you have for a leader whose bosses say needs to exhibit more self-confidence while still being collaborative and authentic?

Here’s his response, along with a few ideas of my own:

I rarely encounter this issue in my work with CEOs and potential CEOs because people at the top of huge organizations don’t often have self-confidence problems. But I have had several inquiries lately about helping future leaders who need to demonstrate more self-confidence.

Let me give you a few suggestions that I give leaders who have self-confidence issues (then I’ll ask our readers to pitch in with more suggestions):

1. Decide if you really want to be a leader. Many of the MBAs who report self-confidence issues are brilliant technicians. They often find the uncertainty and ambiguity of leading people very unsettling. They are looking for the “right answers” – similar to the ones in engineering school. In some cases, brilliant technical experts should continue to be brilliant technical experts – and not feel obligated to become managers.

2. Make peace with ambiguity in decision making. There are usually no clear right answers when making complex business decisions. Even CEOs are guessing.

3. Gather a reasonable amount of data, involve people, then follow your gut and do what you think is right.

4. Accept the fact that you are going to fail on occasion. All humans do

5. Have fun! Life is short. Why should you expect your direct reports to demonstrate positive enthusiasm, if they don’t see it in you?

6. Once you make a decision, commit and go for it. Don’t continually second guess yourself. If you have to change course, you have to change course. If you never commit, all you will ever do is change course.

7. Demonstrate courage on the outside, even when you don’t feel it on the inside. We are all afraid on occasion -- that is just part of being human. If you are going to lead people in tough times, you will need to show more courage than fear. When direct reports read worry and concern on the face of a leader, they begin to lose confidence in the leader’s ability to lead.

Readers – Many of you have more experience in dealing with self-confidence issues than I do. Any of your suggestions for answering this question are appreciated.

My adds:

In his first 6 tips, Marshall covers the most important aspect of confidence, that’s being confident. However, sometimes, new leaders in particular, need to learn how to sound confident, even if they may be shaking in their shoes. We often see this when we have new managers present proposals at the end of a leadership program to senior executives. Building on his 7th tip, Here are 5 more tips on how to demonstrate confident behaviors:

1. Take a stand; express your personal conviction and beliefs. Doesn’t just be a reporter.

2. Be passionate, heartfelt, sincere, and authentic. “When the heart speaks the mind of individuals, it’s indecent to object” – Milton Kundera

3. Demonstrate commitment, often by the use of first person. Use “I” when appropriate – not as an ego trip, but as a demonstration of your own conviction.

4. Make a bold declaration, a “BHAD” (big, hairy, audacious goal)

5. Use strong, colorful, unambiguous language

Perhaps it the behaviors can be learned and demonstrated, confidence will follow!

Ask Me Your Questions

Lately I’ve been getting an occasional question from readers looking for advice or resources on leadership or leadership development. I’ve decided to take a page from bloggers like Evil HR Lady and Ask a Manager and add an “Ask me a Question” feature on the sidebar of my blog.

I have no idea what I’m getting into here, but what the hell.

Go ahead and send me your questions about leadership development, leadership, crazy bosses, impossible employees, or dysfunctional teams. QUESTIONS WILL BE PUBLISHED, so please be discreet, but please provide enough gory details for me to offer an informed response (and entertain my readers). Of course, no names or email addresses will be published.

5 Lessons for Women Leaders

From CCL's Leading Effectively May newsletter:

Sixty-one high-achieving women who attended CCL's Women's Leadership Program are the foundation of a research study to better understand the dilemmas, choices and contradictions that influence women's life journeys as managers. The women are all mid- and senior-level executives in jobs of substantial responsibility, with base salaries that range from the low $80,000s to more than $205,000, not including bonuses and stock options. The researchers interviewed each woman three times over the course of a year.

Here are 5 success themes and strategies that emerged from their research:

What does it mean to be a successful? For today's high-achieving women, success is more than breaking barriers and achieving their professional goals. Success is about how they get there, too.

"High-achieving women do break barriers, earn top jobs and achieve many goals," says CCL's Sara King. "But, behind the accomplishment, a lot of inner work is going on. Our research shows that as high-achieving women approach their careers and their lives, they are factoring in five key themes: agency, authenticity, connection, self-clarity and wholeness."

These themes, identified by a study of 61 high-achieving women over a two-year period, are woven into the career decisions and leadership styles of women leaders. Collectively, the themes reveal deeper, more complex images of successful women and, says King, offer insight for women who are navigating their leadership journey.

Agency is about taking control of one's career. It is about being your own pilot and feeling as if you are shaping your job, your leadership style and your life, rather than feeling that others have control over your destiny. In the CCL study, agency referred to intentional actions taken towards achieving a desired goal, such as becoming more comfortable exercising authority or learning to be more politically sophisticated within one's organization. Strategies for realizing greater agency include analyzing your career steps, setting realistic, specific goals and developing a plan for achieving them, asking for challenges outside your current functional orientation, seeking recognition, and asking for what you deserve.

Authenticity is being genuine, being oneself. The importance of authenticity to women in the CCL study was resounding, whether or not they felt that they were living extremely authentic lives. Authenticity comes from finding your style, your way of leading. By developing self-awareness, you gain clarity about your values, preferences and skills. You can then determine the gap between "fitting in" and being yourself. Choose the kind of work, roles and organizations that are compatible with who you are, being mindful of the choices and tradeoffs you are willing to make.

Connection involves a focus on relationships. A desire for closer friendships and family ties drove many of the goals, choices and decisions of the women in the CCL study. Even the busiest executives invested in connections, both personally and professionally. To strengthen your professional connections, slow down and take time for people, build relationships, and network, network, network. Find a mentor or establish your personal "board of directors" to serve as a support system and sounding board.

Self-clarity comes from understanding one's values, motivations and behaviors. It is the desire to have a greater sense of self. The search for self-clarity motivated many of the women in the CCL study to continue their own growth and development. To increase your self-clarity, seek feedback to better see your strengths and weaknesses and to understand the impact you have on others. Evaluate how your needs, motivations and goals change over time, and continue to reassess what is of value to you. Look for patterns, but be open to possibilities. Make learning and reflection a priority.

Wholeness represents the desire to seek roles beyond work or to unite different life roles into an integrated whole. It was the most dominant theme in the CCL data. Some of the women were concerned that they had nothing else in their lives but work. Others were concerned about wholeness because they felt fragmented and divided between work and other life roles. They valued multiple roles, life beyond work and a broader definition of success. To help you gain a sense of wholeness, let go of the idea that it is about balance or equitable division of time between work and other roles. Wholeness is about setting priorities and valuing all your commitments. It's about saying no to roles or obligations that no longer serve you.

Take your damn seat at the table

For about the last 20 years, I’ve heard a lot of whining from training and HR folks about wanting to “have a seat at the table”. We love to flog ourselves about why we stink , and to criticize our executives about having their heads up their behinds for not recognizing how important we could be.

I know, I used to do the same thing. And I also spent time “marketing” my training team, conducting phony ROI studies, and taking on any scrap assignment thrown my way as a way to prove our worth and “earn” a seat at the all important table.

Well, I’ve learned over the years that if you want a seat at the table, you need to assume it’s yours, just barge in, and take it. Grab a cookie, have a seat, pour a glass of water, and contribute to the success of the business. Executives aren’t stupid people – if you have something substantial to offer, they listen. And if you don’t – if you try to get away with shoveling fluff at them, they are quick to size you up and dismiss you. Take your cookie and go home.

For the last 10 years I’ve been hearing about the importance of leadership development and talent management. For me, that’s been an open invitation to join the party. I’ve never felt so valued and had so many opportunities to play. My team’s dance cards are consistently filled to capacity. And not just because the need is there – and it is – we are drowning in a sea of opportunity. More importantly, it’s because we know what we’re doing – we know how to develop leaders and we’re damn good at it.

By the way – that seat at the table we’re all clamoring for – it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. But that’s fodder for another post.

12 Best Practices in Executive Development

From Jim Bolt, Executive Development Associates:

The following is a list of common "best practices" used by companies to develop executives and leaders. Use it as a way to evaluate your own company’s practice and develop an action plan to improve.

1. Linked to Strategy: Our executive development efforts are directly linked to our organization's strategy. It's clear how these efforts help address our marketplace challenges and/or achieve our strategic objectives.

2. Top Management Driven: Our top executives champion our executive development efforts. We have a senior, line executive advisory board. Our top executives attend the programs as participants and also teach when appropriate.

3. Strategy & System: We have a strategy and long-term plan for executive development. Our programs and practices are part of a continuous system and process rather than stand-alone, ad hoc events.

4. Thorough Front-End Analysis: No significant executive development effort is begun without a thorough front-end or needs analysis.

5. Custom Designed: We custom-design our programs so they address our unique, company-specific challenges and opportunities, and help create and/or drive our vision, values and strategies.

6. Leadership Profile, Feedback and Individual Development Plans: We use a custom-designed [linked to our vision, values, and strategies], multi-rater leadership instrument/inventory to provide confidential development feedback to our executives. Our executives have individual development plans based on that feedback.

7. Top-Down Implementation: Whenever our executive and leadership development efforts are aimed at organizational change, our top management attends the programs first as participants. Then the programs are cascaded down throughout the organization.

8. Action-Oriented Learning: Our executive learning experiences are action oriented. Whenever feasible, we use some form of "action learning" where participants apply what they are learning to real, current business problems and opportunities.

9. Succession Management: We have an effective succession management system that ensures we have the right executive, in the right job, at the right time. We seldom are forced to hire from outside the organization to fill a key executive job opening as a result of not having a qualified internal candidate prepared.

10. Integrated Talent Management System: We have a well integrated talent management system (succession management, external and internal executive education, on-the-job development, coaching/mentoring, etc.) rather than independent stand-alone processes.

11. Measurement: We set clear, measurable objectives when we create new executive development strategies, systems, processes, and programs. Then we measure the business impact using metrics that matter to senior management, and communicate the results effectively.

12. High Potential Identification and Development: Our organization has an effective process for identifying "high potential" talent and accelerating their development.

May 14th Carnival of HR

The latest Carnival of HR is up and running over at The Career Encouragement Blog. Here's the teaser:

It seems we HR types are a curious bunch. In true blogging spirit we are asking and answering questions all over the place, and challenging our readers to ask and answer as well. There's an African proverb that says "The one who asks questions doesn't lose his way." If that's the case, than this month's offering is evidence that we are all well on the way!

Stop by and check it out, and be sure to return often for great career advice!

(see my own "Leadership Development on the Cheap" post from 5/1/08.)

What the Hell!

I've been working on a managerial decision making process for one of our VPs. I know, I know, sounds like a set-up for a Dilbert strip. But really, it's very comprehensive - it factors in financial formulas, risk assessment, and 12 other criteria. It's going to be used for those big, honking, complex decisions that can make or break the company. It's proprietary, so too bad I can't share it with you.

However, I can share with you a decision making guideline that should work for about 99% of the rest of the decisions that we face in our day-to-day lives. I got it from Tom Peter's blog. He found this card in a Boston card shop:

"Ever notice that 'what the hell' is always the right decision?" - unknown Hollywood script writer, (courtesy of The Borealis Press).

Tom's advice: At some point (today), despite "overload", just say "what the hell", and go for it!

(Likewise, worry if it's been more than a week or so since you said to yourself, "what the hell.")

Mentoring Quiz for Mentors: Part 2, Answer Key

Here's the answers to the mentoring quiz. You may find some of them surprising.

1) It is best if mentors are selected by the protégé T F
False. Generally speaking, those seeking out mentors choose people they “like”, as opposed to someone that will help them develop in targeted areas. Often, being paired up according to needs and talents of mentors and protégés works better.

2) Mentors and protégés usually work together for
many years T F
False. Research has shown that the most effective length of a mentoring relationship is between 6 months and 2 years.

3) Mentors and protégé pairings work out best when
they have similar interests and styles T F
False. It’s nice if they do, but the purpose of the relationship is developmental, so similarity of interests and styles is not necessary, and often, both learn more when styles and interests are dissimilar.

4) Mentoring works best when it is an informal process T F
False. While the process should not be too rigid, it works better when there are some guidelines like the ones given to you. This helps set expectations and roles for both parties.

5) It is generally believed that it is better if the protégé’s T F
boss is not his/her mentor
True, for two main reasons. First, it is often better to have an outside perspective, one that is not influenced by day-to-day demands and deadlines, to help mentor and coach. Secondly, protégés need to feel comfortable in discussing their developmental opportunities, something that many employees would prefer not to do with their direct manager.

6) It is better if the mentor is outside of the protégé’s T F
direct organization.
True. This can help give the mentor some distance and objectivity to situations, and will reduce or eliminate the chance of the sessions centering around specific individuals within the organization or departmental issues.

7) Same gender pairings usually work out best for a
mentoring relationship T F
False. No evidence appears to suggest this. Often, the diverse perspectives of an opposite gender pairing enriches the outcome.

8) Mentoring can help acclimate the protégé to a
new environment T F
True. This type of targeted mentoring is very useful for helping protégés get on board more quickly in terms of processes, contacts, business objectives, and so forth.

9) A mentor can sponsor and coach activities that
will foster and promote growth T F
Absolutely, in fact that is one of the primary outcomes of the relationship.

10) Mentoring usually works best without any
processes to get in the way T F
Not really. There is a balance between informal interactions and a targeted outcome. Therefore, some structure like that provided to you here has been found to be most effective.

11) Mentoring is only for fast-trackers T F
False. Mentoring can be for everyone. The most important element is to match up needs of the protégés with the skills and abilities of the mentors.

12) Mentoring is one way of developing protégé’s
skills T F
True. It should be used in conjunction with many different approaches to development, including job shadowing, developmental projects and assignments, formal training, and self-study.

13) Mentoring works best when the mentor and protégé are
in different fields T F
This may be true or false, depending on the desired outcome. If the skills needed are function specific (i.e. marketing skills), then it will be beneficial to have the mentor be in the same field provided they are not in the same organization. If, on the other hand, the desired outcome is something more generic like specific leadership skills, then it may be more useful to have the pairs be from different fields in order to provide a broader perspective.

14) One of the major roles of a mentor is a counselor T F
False. The mentor is not to be a counselor. There may be occasions to discuss approaches to certain situations, but the outcome of the relationship should be developmental.

15) Mentoring is a significant investment of time for the mentor T F
Not necessarily. Often, mentors are extremely busy people, and are asked by many others to act as mentors to them. Therefore, their role should be to provide guidance and direction to the protégé, and the amount of time invested by both parties should be agreed upon up front.

16) To be successful, mentoring must be done face-to face T F
Not true. Though initial sessions are most beneficial done face to face, subsequent sessions can be done just as effectively virtually with good results.

17) Anyone can be a successful mentor T F
True. A mentor must possess certain skills, experiences and abilities that can help a protégé, must have good coaching skills, and view the time spent with their protégé as a valued investment.

18) Mentors generally report receiving significant T F
benefits of working with a protégé
True. This is commonly reported; benefits include learning about different parts of the organization, and satisfaction in helping others. Most mentors also experience personal growth by learning something unintended from the protégé.

19) Protégés generally earn more money than their
peers in similar positions T F
True. This may be because people who seek out mentors are more focused on their careers, but research has shown that people that do engage in mentoring relationships do earn more than their counterparts.

20) Protégés are generally more satisfied with their
careers than their non-mentored peers T F
True. Research supports this. Again, it could be for a variety of reasons - sense of control, better feedback, improved skills, etc.

21) The mentor/protégé relationship should be open so that the protégé can talk about any subject T F
True. Mentoring relationships should be focused; ground rules should be established up front. These should include what should and should not be discussed in the sessions so that both parties are clear.

22) Everything in the mentor/protégé relationship should be T F
focused on the issue of the development of the protégé
True. The scope of the mentoring relationship should be decided upon up front. Once these objectives are met, the relationship should conclude.

23) Mentoring should be listed on the protégé’s individual development plan. T F
True - and the protégé’s manager should be aware of the mentoring relationship and progress.

24) The protégé’s boss is not really involved in the
mentoring process T F
True. While not involved in the actual sessions, the mentor should periodically talk with the supervisor about development opportunities, etc. Also, the supervisor should ask the employee how the mentoring is going.