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Mentoring Matters
By Jeff Frederick, MS, CPO  Japanese culture reveres its elderly, while
Americans seem to view them quite differently. Why? Perhaps the
fact that we are a younger culture has something to do with it. But
maybe our elderly population is not altogether guilt free in the
equation? Respect is earned. It is about contribution, the ability
to adapt and stay relevant.
Does this mean experience measured against innovation lacks
relevance? Certainly not. The best professional model is innovation
matched with experience. Here we find the substance of true
mentoring: the young and innovative guided by those whose
experience has remained relevant, timely, constructive, and above
all, accurate and impactful.
So, what is the substance of mentoring?
Vision is the best progeny of experience, if the eyes of the
elderly have remained focused. But the only relevance it retains is
what is communicated in terms young people can relate to. And
remember, the eyes of younger professionals also must be focused.
The big picture is as important to the beginner as to the
prospective retiree. Here, the young and old share common ground.
To make the point, let's mix up some metaphors and talk about
change in our profession.
Have you ever heard the term "agribusiness"? In American food
production, economically successful food production, small
family farming is all but a thing of the past.
So why has the family farm model failed? Because family farmers
lacked vision, and so had none to pass down. They prided themselves
on their independence--including, sadly, independence from one
another. Family farmers preferred to believe the old way was
sustainable. They chose to work their own land, on their own
tractor, producing their own crops. They saw no reason to organize
their labor into a corporate (union) model, to respond to the
external realities of their vocation, to come together to promote
better prices. What is their "independent" response? "We're
farmers, not businessmen." Now many of them are not even farmers
anymore.
What's agribusiness got to do with orthotics and prosthetics?
Nothing directly, but everything metaphorically. Back to mentoring:
Ivan Sabel, CPO, now chairman and CEO of Hanger Orthopedic Group,
has practiced for many years following his father's longtime
contribution to the field. Whether you've got an 'independence or
die' attitude about it or not, you've got to admit he had a
vision--a vision to pull together a huge company of "family
farmers" as our profession waded precariously into a new century,
fraught with encroachment, cost management, and other
challenges.
Yeah, I know that many of my fellow practitioners are not
employed by Hanger and can bristle at the notion that "Ivan the
Terrible" has accomplished something positive in their behalf. But
truth always speaks for itself. If there ever was a time when a
large voice was needed to face issues of governmental regulation
and inordinate payer self-interest, it is now.
As Hanger braces itself against issues that face every
practitioner in our country, its success (or failure) will
unavoidably trickle down. In this way, Sabel's accomplishment
represents mentoring from a personal vision that illustrates the
correct application of experience to innovation--the innovation, in
this case, being a business model. Sabel's vision addressed the
obvious need to meet external change with disciplined design.
Not everyone has the opportunity to build a huge conglomerate.
But this does not mean that each of us cannot put forward ideas and
examples that lead and inspire. It all begins with a question: what
can I do as a mentor? What contribution can I make? The answer is
simple: find something positive in the negatives and promote it.
Share it. Teach it. Pass it down, and maybe the O&P "family
farm" will not only survive, but prosper.
Vision remains the most significant answer to dilemmas facing
any profession--vision with the courage and stamina to become
reality. Above all, save your pugilistic energies for the
outsiders. Big guys like Hanger advocate for all practitioners, if
only by default. Beware of an independent, "tractor" mentality when
the buyers care for little more than their own profit. Be a good
mentor. Interact with one another in a partnership that transcends
our competitive spirit. Beyond local business concerns, we must be
one. Jeff Fredrick, MS, CPO, is director of Hanger’s Rehabilitation for Development (Hanger RFD) and branch manager at Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Tallahassee, Florida. 
Table Of Contents - May 2006
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