Mentoring!!!!
My supervisors are forever asking me to train and mentor new hires, my coworkers, interns or students, but when I start talking about my own professional development, they can't end the conversation fast enough. Maybe they're worried I'll only leave if they invest in me, when in fact, some true professional development would be a reason to stay. Or maybe they assume I can figure out whatever I need to know, as I learn quickly and am very self-motivated. You can be self-reliant to a fault though. Had I ever had a mentor, I think I could have avoided a lot of the groping, bungling trial and error I've gone through trying to direct myself over the years.
I'm also a big believer in informational interviews and have gotten a lot out of them at some critical junctures, but they're still no substitute for a true mentoring relationship.
