By Joe Grimm

I am turning this column over to Glenn Proctor, former executive editor and vice president/news at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Proctor left the paper last June and has been coaching and mentoring and wrote a collection of 179 tips or observations tips he calls “Tweets, Greets, Sweets and Beets: A Guide to Managing Ego.” It is available as an e-book through Kindle.

I asked Proctor to elaborate on some of the career-related bits of wisdom in his e-book.

Proctor: Most of what’s in the book came from personal situations or Marine Corps or management experiences. Others are just things that came to me during my few “creative thinking” moments.

• A good mentor can save your life, your relationship and your career.

I keep a backscratcher in my office to remind me that everyone, at one time or another, needs their (not literally) backs scratched. Or, put another way, sometimes we can’t climb the tree or scale the fence alone. We may need help. That’s where a good loyal, deeply truthful and lifelong mentor comes in. He or she will tell you, most likely, what you don’t want to hear. I know this because good mentors saved me and gave me more boosts than I deserved.

• If you’re looking for order, gather yourself first.

It’s easy to criticize individuals, systems or procedures that you think don’t work. Before you do, make sure your systems are in order. Before you start checking the next stall, make sure yours is clean.

• If you change your management style or attitude during your corporate climb, tell your former colleagues and peers who you have become.

New bosses often change (and they probably should) but still try to hold onto the deep friendships, actions and activities they have with former peers. Then the relationships sour when the boss’s decision disrupts friends or close, lower-ranking colleagues. New bosses: Make your position clear. You are not the same person.

• Without effort, smart is wasted matter taking up headspace.

Goes to my company slogan — Energy Gets Opportunity. Don’t wait for opportunities. Go after them. A lot of smart people are waiting for a knock at the door.

• Most of the folks who rooted for me in the early days are gone. I can’t let them down.

In my early years, I was a foster kid. My grandparents and a loving aunt got me back in the family and nurtured me even though many times I didn’t listen. But their words, even today, keep me going. I have been successful because of them, good mentors, Marines and the Good Brother upstairs.

An important part of Proctor’s encore career is REDDjob. According to the Web site, it provides “non-traditional, fast-paced creative and motivational workshops and individual career-transition and small business coaching.”

Joe Grimm, a consultant and adjunct faculty member of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, recruited for the Detroit Free Press, Knight Ridder and Gannett from 1990 until 2008. He now teaches at the Michigan State University School of Journalism. He has run the JobsPage journalism careers site at www.jobspage.com since 1996. Questions about careers? E-mail Joe for an answer.