Effective Mentoring: A Comprehensive Guide to Being a Better Mentor

By Robert F. Lowery

Today, more than ever before, our youth need quality mentors to guide them to fulfill their potential and destinies. Thankfully, there are proven techniques that will help anyone ready to set out on a challenging yet rewarding journey to positively impact the life of someone else.
In a comprehensive reference manual, Robert Lowery relies on his seventeen years of experience as a youth development professional and long-time mentor to share not only his personal story through life and how he came into direct service youth work and mentorship, but also stories from experienced mentors who have impacted the lives of hundreds of young people through their guidance. While leading prospective mentors through a practical roadmap that includes the frameworks, mindsets, and tools necessary to become a quality mentor, Lowery also offers insight into:
• why mentorship is more important today than ever before;
• the characteristics of a good mentor;
• the pitfalls to avoid and challenges to overcome;
• how to effectively mentor those within an organization; and
• the myriad of ways one can become involved in mentorship.
Effective Mentoring is a concise guide that contains personal stories, wisdom, and tools from a seasoned youth development specialist tailored toward anyone interested in becoming a positive role model for today’s youth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781663219954

Robert F. Lowery

Robert Lowery is a seasoned professional in youth and leadership development, and the founder and CEO of RL Experience, a consulting firm specializing in guiding young people to reach their full potential. Over the past seventeen years, he has created, executed, and directed programs focused on positively impacting youth. Lowery has also been the Chief Program Officer at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo, a youth counselor, and social worker.

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Copyright © 2021 Robert F. Lowery.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-1994-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-1995-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021906167

iUniverse rev. date: 04/16/2021

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 My Story

Chapter 2 Why Mentorship Is Important

Chapter 3 Mentorship—What Works and What Doesn’t

Chapter 4 Best Practices for Mentoring Organizations

Chapter 5 A Call to Action

Chapter 6 Conclusion

About the Author

Endnotes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to first acknowledge God. I give nothing but praise and glory for Jesus who died and rose again for me. It is nothing but God that keeps me in humility, keeps me in grace, and keeps me in the right state of mind. I am thankful for the fact that He still uses me despite my faults and errors.

This journey would not have been possible without the support of my family, mentors, and friends. To my family – my sister Stephanie, bonus dad Michael, my niece Rhianna, my covenant son Dialo, my dad Robert, my bonus mom Darlene, my sister Brittany and my brother Austin. A special thank you to my mother, Norma Lowery, for guiding me as a person, encouraging me in all of my pursuits and inspiring me to follow my dreams. To my Aunt Jackie who gifted me with my first bible as a child – I thank you for taking the time to teach me, guiding me and believing in me. To my extended family The Walker’s and Blackmon’s and other family members from Niagara Falls, NY, Atlanta, GA, Detroit, MI, San Francisco, CA, Charlotte, NC, New York City, too many names to mention – thank you all so much for your support.

I want to acknowledge my grandmother June Lowery who was called to heaven in 1994. I will be forever grateful for her love, wisdom, humor, kindness and most of all her love for the Lord. I am thankful for my cousin, but more like a brother, Airrion Shine who was called home in 2015. I truly value the bond we had and life lessons shared that continue to guide my life. To my Best friend Jamal – I can’t believe it’s been 14 years since you were tragically taken away from this earth. I miss those days of listening to you freestyle and working on your gift. I appreciate and value all those memories we shared, Rest in Peace.

To my True Bethel Baptist Church family, my pastor and mentor Darius G. Pridgen, thank you for being such a great example of living a life of faith. Words can’t express how grateful I am to witness how God continues to use in a mighty way. To Lady Pridgen, Deacons, Trustees, staff and the entire True Bethel Family thank you all for the love, prayers and support.

To my Boys & Girls Club family, I will be forever grateful to this organization. From my experience at the Club for two summer programs as a child to then serving 15 years as a staff member, it was one of the most challenging yet rewarding chapters of my life. To all the staff that I had the privilege to lead and learn from, my colleagues that served alongside me and all of the youth that I had the opportunity to impact. Although I had the privilege of working with over thousands of individuals. I would like to acknowledge a few that were instrumental to my professional growth. Diane Rowe, thank you for your guidance and leadership. You have helped me progress as a leader and I’m so grateful for that. Rebecca Rowe, my former boss for taking a chance on me at Boys & Girls Clubs. Thank you so much for all your support and good advice throughout the years. My original colleagues: Danielle N. Judge, Jody Falkner, Katie Trask, Jamieka Bristol, Rashiem O’Connor, Nekia Kemp, Patrick Alexander and Jennifer Mickens. Rest in Heaven to Maggie Smith, Mr. John, Thomas S. Kulaszewski, Thomas Morlock, Kevin Jackson, and Christopher Payne. Thank you to Jim Clark, President/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Chris Corrado and National Training Associates at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I also want to thank the Society of African American Professionals (SOAAP). This group created a national and regional forum for networking and mentoring with other African American professionals within the Boys & Girls Clubs. To the late Lou Dantzler thank you your iconic and trailblazing impact in the movement of Boys & Girls Clubs.

To my mentors, colleagues, friends and mentees thank you so much for your contribution and feedback on this book. Sandra Okonofua, thank you so much for your support, insight and expertise on this project. Thank you to Edreys Wajed for the dope book cover artwork. Thank you to Tommy McClam and Pastor Kenny Simmons for all that you do to serve our community. Cebrinn Hill, Lillian Rivera, Emmanuel O’Kolo, Marceise Crouch, Todd Banks, Nafeesah Habeeb and My Friend, George Toledo thanks man for all the advice and support- we both have come along way. I have to give thanks to my original photographers, Tim Broadus, Lamar Haslam Jr, and Dameyn Smith because they helped me document and share this great work with others. A very special thanks to Sheila Brown owner of Vision Multi Media Group/Power 96.5FM for taking the time to guide me through the process of getting this book published.

My Keller Williams Realty Buffalo Northtowns family, thank you for welcoming me and not only showing me the business of real estate but importantly building a business with good character and integrity.

I want to acknowledge a few organizations and I apologize in advance if I have overlooked a few. These organizations have shaped in some way my passion to continue to make a difference and impact on our youth and community. Many thanks to True Community Development Corporation, Say Yes to Education Buffalo, Buffalo State College, Buffalo United Charter School, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative, Leadership Buffalo, Buffalo Black Achievers, Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce, Resource Council of WNY, Afterschool Network of WNY, Buffalo Public Schools, City of Buffalo – with a special thank you to Mayor Bryon Brown. Thank you to NYS Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes for all of your support. Thank you to Erie County Legislature Chairwomen April Baskin, and all the great community-based youth serving organizations that I had an opportunity to work with.

INTRODUCTION

Whenever I hear adults talk casually about young people, the talk is often negative. Kids these days, This generation is going to hell, Young people can’t, Young people won’t, and many other damning and condemning statements are heard about the capabilities and potential that our young people possess. I believe that many of us in the older generations have been infected with an unholy cynicism when it comes to