Are there any downsides to being mentored? You get feedback even when you don't want it. [Laughs.] Seriously, having the right mentor is truly a win-win situation. I could learn from her and in turn make her more effective. Mentoring is truly a relationship, and you have to be able to find someone with whom you have a degree of simpatico. Mentoring programs can work well if the people are well matched, and if they are not, it's important to say so.

Are you mentoring anyone? This company has a formal mentoring program, and I'm mentoring a young woman, an internal [electronic data processing] monitor. I have had many battles with our auditors, so I was flattered she picked me as her mentor. We are similar personalities. You have to find commonalities with a person and develop an empathy with them to understand what skills they need to develop and how to encourage them.

We meet biweekly. One meeting is more formal, where I provide feedback, outline things to do, etc. The second meeting is more informal, usually over lunch. She seems to think the program is successful. I always check in with her to be sure that our meetings are providing value for her. I want to push the envelope in the next step of development, but I want to be sure that she is comfortable with the pace. I want to be sure that we are both having fun and building a lasting relationship.