What comes to mind when you think of the term, mentorship? If you begin to think of one who receives guidance from someone who’s more experienced, then you are correct! Whether it’s in your personal life, or professional life, aligning with a mentor can be extremely beneficial. Some benefits can include: developing new skills, overcoming weaknesses, or perhaps, a deeper development of one’s strengths.
What if we told you that our guests in episode 10 of The Relentless, believe that mentorship doesn’t just require effort on the part of the receiver but, there’s an equal effort for the one who’s giving? Mentorship can be considered a two-way street and as Dr. Gurner and our guests discussed in this episode, can come with its own set of challenges.
Enter Gavin Kaysen and Chris Nye. Gavin is a two-time award-winning chef and the Owner of Minnesota restaurants Spoon and Stable, Bellecour, and Demi. Chris is the Executive Chef for Gavin at Spoon and Stable. They first connected while Chris worked in the kitchen of a restaurant in New York, and Gavin joined as the chef.
Their relationship took some time to develop, and as they tell it, there were many factors that came into play that helped their mentor/mentee relationship become a meaningful one.
Key Takeaways
Whether you’re on the mentorship side of the relationship, or the mentee, this episode is full of meaningful takeaways. Here are our top three favorites:
- Vulnerability builds trust- Going through challenges together can help strengthen the mentorship/mentee relationship. Chris shared that it was going through tough times with Gavin, that helped show them they could depend on one another. Their vulnerability helped build a trust that strengthened their relationship.
- Communicate with each other- Gavin mentioned, “…be willing to hear what is going to be said on both sides of the aisle. You cannot give all of it and then expect nothing to come back.” Like any relationship, there can be conflict. Working through those differences and being willing to listen, can help build a strong line of communication. There may also be times where you may have to have the “hard conversations.” While navigating through those conversations may not be easy, they are necessary for both sides of the relationship.
- Be willing to commit your time- Building relationships can take time. There is also time involved for the gleaning and learning component from both parties. Whether it’s face to face time, or responding to a phone call, being intentional is key building and maintaining the relationship. The time commitment may be a sacrifice, but can help build the groundwork of a long-lasting friendship.
We asked Gavin and Chris how they define relentless. They both believe being relentless is more of a posture or attitude that’s disciplined or unwavering. It’s seizing every opportunity, and not cutting any corners.
Whether learning new skills in your professional life, or if you’re looking to further develop your current strengths, this episode can help define how a mentor/mentee relationship can be meaningful for both sides. Listen to episode 10, of The Relentless, to learn more on the two sides of mentorship, and #jointheconversation.