Do You Have A Mentor Yet?

76% of professionals see the importance of having a mentor.

 

 

Yet… only 37% of professionals actually have a mentor.

 

 

I’m assuming you’re in the majority above… You know the benefits of having a mentor. But just to be clear, here are a few specifically listed out.

 

 

Mentors can:

 

 

• • Help you navigate workplace politics.

 

• • Connect you to people.

 

• • Provide a different perspective.

 

• • Encourage, motivate & inspire.

 

• • Identify skills to strengthen.

 

• • Help you maintain accountability.

 

• • Provide real-world experience.

 

 

If you don’t have a mentor… I don’t want you to miss out on these amazing benefits anymore!

 

 

(Honestly, if you don’t have more than 1 mentor… you should take these steps to find your next, right now. More perspectives mean you get more of the good stuff). 

 

 

 

Follow these 10 steps to find yourself a mentor:

 

 

1/ Who do you admire?

 

 

This can be a leader within your company, a professional in your industry, or even a peer.

 

 

Yes – a mentor needs to also choose you.

 

 

But it’s up to you to pick people that you want to learn from. You are leading the creation of your own “board of advisors.”

 

 

2/ What do you admire about them?

 

 

This is the pre-work before even asking them to meet. Get clear on what exactly you admire about them.

 

 

You will share this with them – gifting them positive feedback and building a foundation for your relationship.

 

 

3/ What do you want to learn from them?

 

 

Get clear on what you want to ask them.

 

 

What do you want to learn from their experience? Or is there a challenge you’re facing you’d like help with?

 

 

The more specific the question, the more you will be remembered.

 

 

4/ What do you want to share with them?

 

 

Get clear on what you want to share about yourself.

 

 

Make this memorable. How?

 

• • Choose a commonality – an experience, a place, education, culture, etc.

 

• • Share what you’re passionate about and why it’s important to you.

 

 

5/ Ask them for coffee

 

 

Reach out and ask for 10-15 min of their time.

 

 

In your invite:

 

• • Share how you know them.

 

• • Share what you admire about them.

 

• • Share what you want to learn from them.

 

 

Keep it short and sweet.

 

 

6/ Meet with them

 

 

Ask questions and listen most of the time. Don’t talk too much about you, focus on them.

 

• • Take notes 🙂

 

 

• • Share the memorable thing about yourself.

 

 

• • Thank them.

 

 

• • Ask them if you can reach out if you have another question.

 

 

7/ Follow up

 

 

Thank them in writing for their time & insight.

 

 

Share either what you took away and/or what you are going to do with the information they provided.

 

 

Keep it short and sweet.

 

 

8/ Identify a challenge

 

 

Prepare for a second meeting request. Now they know who you are. It’s time to ask them for support on something specific.

 

 

What challenge would you like their help with?

 

 

Ideally, this is linked to the passion you shared with them earlier.

 

 

9/ 2nd Meeting

 

 

When you meet a second time, first share the impact their last meeting had on you. What did you do differently, what was the outcome?

 

 

Share your challenge – but don’t over-explain. Keep it simple. Then ask their thoughts.

 

 

You should be listening more than talking. Thank them.

 

 

End by asking if you can reach out if you have another question.

 

 

 

10/ Repeat steps 7-9

 

 

This is the cycle of mentorship.

 

 

In the 3rd meeting, you can share that you see them as a mentor.

 

 

———

 

 

You don’t need to ask the awkward question “Will you be my mentor?” to have a mentoring relationship.

 

 

A mentor is simply someone who you learn from. And now, you know how to find just that.

 

 

 

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”

– Oprah Winfrey

American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor