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This week's thank you: The person who makes time

Time by Stefanos Papachristou on Flickr CC BY NC

I used to work at a bank where birthday and work anniversary notes from executives were part of the company culture. Even with about 350 people on staff, the executives made a point to know everyone who worked there. During my seven years at the company, I did informational interviews like mad. At least once a month, I picked up the tab for lunch to learn from someone I admired. Pretty much every executive at that organization made time for me at least once. I'm sure they weren't in it for the free lunch.

These informational interviews provided me insight into everything from identifying skill sets to working to get myself into the right place at the right time. I've done a few interviews periodically since leaving that company with other people but short of an occasional LinkedIn update, I had lost touch with those executives.

During the holiday rush, I ran into one of them at Target. That casual "hello" in passing got me thinking. I would like to start a mentor program at my current employer. This holiday shopper was the same executive who launched and led a mentor program at my previous employer. As a mentee and a mentor in that program, I knew the benefits on both sides and was trying to emulate it in the documentation I was putting together for my current company. It would be great if I could take her out to lunch and get her advice on how to fine-tune the program I was proposing.

As with all executives, she is incredibly busy with work, family, volunteering and other priorities. But she also always made time for people who needed advice. So a few LinkedIn messages later, we arranged a lunch meeting and I got several ideas on how to make my program better. I know she didn't have to make time for me. I hadn't worked at the bank for more than five years. But she did and that was probably the best $30 I spent that week.

Thank you, Karen, for making time for me and for all the great advice -- not only this month but also all those years ago.
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