This is about what the senior partner or whatever is supposed to do for the junior. I truly cringe at the word, supposed. Is anyone supposed to do anything for the junior? Well, it is out there and is causing drama so chipping in a word would help.
First there is the mentorship issue: This part can be confusing because for the junior he really has to find his feet on his own but there is a lot of talk about receiving guidance from a senior chap who knows the rules and is willing to give this to the junior. The junior also has to be reasonable and not expect sponsorship or someone to basically pave the way for him.
Then what are the duties of Senior and Junior: The senior offers what he can and the junior takes it with a smile. If there are deficiencies the junior makes up for it using his own ingenuity.
And finally there is context: Juniors have been led to expect freebies but this is not real so they will have to learn to negotiate in the context of the real world where having an edge or an impregnable position will determine who will decide to partner with you.
And let us not forget human nature. It is so constituted that it cannot respect a helpless man but it can pity him and even that it cannot do for long if the signs of power do not emerge.
On the part of the senior, it requires a big man to determine in his life that he will be a giant upon who others can stand to see further. And this choice can only be impelled no matter how much railing or finger wagging we all have to endure.
Find me a law firm that has invested enough in its associates to put them in front of the GC of a major company. That's the kind of major thinking that pulls thee ahead.
If all this goes to bits, the junior can always break out with a direction or thought which he can out into play on his own. This has been the way of all rising stars
There are merits to this do-it-for-me mentorship point of view and it works for the lazy, the shirkers or those who just cannot cut it.
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