What Should You Look for
in a Mentor?
May be
reproduced with copyright and attribution to
www.yourofficecoach.com.
Mentors can be extremely useful in your career development. But how do
you know what to look for in a mentor? And what exactly do you do with
one? To make a mentoring relationship useful, you need to think about
why you want it.
1.
Know your goals.
What benefits do you
hope to gain from having a mentor? Do you want to broaden your business
knowledge? Better understand the organization’s culture? Get some
guidance on your career? Develop specific skills? As with every other
area of life, you have to know where you’re going before you can decide
how to get there.
2.
Don’t limit yourself to one.
People talk about
“having a mentor” as though there is one magical person who will guide
you to career success. In fact, however, you can learn from many people
in many ways. So be open to developing learning relationships with a
variety of colleagues.
3.
Consider their reputation.
You want mentors who are
well-regarded in your organization. A mentor who is respected and
admired can also serve as a career sponsor when opportunities arise.
Their recommendation can help you get considered for promotion or placed
on desirable projects.
4.
Beware of “empty suits”.
Executives whose careers
have been sidelined often have lots of time. They may be all too glad
to fill their empty hours by providing you with useless or erroneous
information. So be careful – just because someone has a nice office or
fancy car, they are not necessarily a valuable advisor.
5.
Expand your knowledge.
One reason to find a
mentor is to gain additional knowledge of the business. This may mean
learning about an unfamiliar function, such a finance or marketing. Or
it may mean getting a broader view of the company from those at a higher
level.
6.
Develop your weaker side.
Another reason for a
mentor is to develop skills or abilities that you do not naturally
possess. If you are quiet and reserved, spend time with an outgoing
extrovert. If you are a creative, big picture thinker, learn from
someone who is good with data and details. Or vice versa.
7.
Look for a role model.
Mentors can also help
you learn specific skills. If you want to become an outstanding
speaker, find a role model who already does this well. If you are a
disaster at office politics, find someone who is a master. Decide what
skills you want to develop and look for a mentor in that area.
8.
Get career guidance.
When you want to move
into a different type of work or new part of the company, the first step
is to make contacts there. Do some informational interviewing to learn
about different jobs or departments, then, if you happen to “click” with
someone, ask if you can continue to consult with them about your career
development.
9.
Ask for honest feedback.
You don’t want a mentor
just to make yourself feel good. You want to learn and grow. So look
for someone who will give you an honest assessment of your strengths,
challenges, and development needs.
10.
Don’t threaten your boss.
Remember that a mentor
is an advisor, coach, or guide – but a mentor is not your manager. You
don’t want your actual boss to be threatened by this relationship,
especially if the person is higher up in the organization. So never use
your mentor to contradict your manager – as in, “Well, that’s not what
Bob says . . .” And never take an issue to your mentor that should
more appropriately be discussed with your boss.
11.
Know when it’s over.
Some mentoring
relationships last quite awhile, but many others are time-limited. Once
a specific goal has been accomplished, there may be no further need for
interaction. Or, as you grow in your career, the relationship may
evolve from mentoring to friendship or simple collegiality. All
relationships change and evolve over time, so at some point you may find
that you have moved beyond your mentor. Or you may be able to mentor
them in some respects!
Copyright Marie G.
McIntyre. All rights reserved. May be reproduced with copyright and
attribution to
www.yourofficecoach.com .
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