Toxic Mentors...

My new position as an Academic Reference Librarian and Assistant Professor has put me into a the position of helping out the Circulation and Interlibrary Loan Librarian. This is no big deal seeing as how we fill only about 3-5 requests every two days or so. I have to scan copied articles and turn them into PDFs, so I get to come across some interesting material every once in a while. This just happens to be one of those "once in a while" events.

I scanned this article entitled "What To Do About Toxic Mentors". It is from Nurse Educator, vol. 11, no. 2, March/April 1986, pages 29-30, in case you want to track it down for yourself. The author breaks down toxic mentors into several categories with such names as "avoiders", "blockers", and "destroyers/criticizers". While this is from a nursing journal, I know that it applies to all sectors of the known world. Scott Adams would agree 100 percent.

For me, the most dangerous of the the so-called "toxic mentors" is the "destroyer/criticizer". Let me quote the author directly here so the full impact of this most insidious of people is fully realized. "Even more toxic are the 'Destroyer/Criticizers,' who tear down the junior person in some way. In this group, the Underminers are particularly subtle; it takes awhile to realize what you are experiencing." It must be noted that Underminers are not explained in the article. The example given is that when a nurse began to excel at her job, slowly over time her responsibilities were cut back and her involvement was minimized. Quite interesting.

So, be on the lookout for these "toxic mentors" and other potentially poisonous people. They will bleed you white if you let them.