I was recently invited to a business panel to discuss the power of mentorship. It made me reflect on my own career and the role mentorship has played. Mentorship—being a mentor as well as being a mentee—came late into my career. When I did have the good luck of connecting to mentors, I saw how it opened up the ability to pursue opportunities, tap into resources and create a feedback loop that is essential in anyone’s career journey and progression.
Benefits Of Mentoring
Today’s business landscape is complex and changing. Navigating and maneuvering it is critical. And a combination of soft and hard skills is often at the heart of this. Having a mentor, usually a person who has more experience, provides an opportunity to glean an understanding of the best ways to accomplish this.
In my career, I came to a point where my progression stalled despite being a top performer. And this is where learning and connecting really helped me break through it. To be clear, I did not have a single mentor or a formalized regular cadence, but what I did have was a small network to lean into for different perspectives. And from there, I began to apply those tips, build allies in the right places and make my strengths visible to those who mattered.
What does this mean for companies and organizations when their employees have the benefits of mentorship? In my case, having this guidance and advice allowed me to take on career opportunities that I otherwise may not have. My confidence soared, and my goals found clarity. And that meant my organization at that time was able to harness my talent most effectively and translate that into deepening employee engagement—I stayed longer and contributed more.
Mentorship also lends a voice to many who, on their own, are not able to traverse the journey. Having a wide variety of voices around the table is extremely beneficial to running any business, organization or project, because it brings different solutions and perspectives that translate toward direct success and, in turn, result in a positive cascading effect.
The benefits of mentorship are not confined to mentees only. Now that I mentor, I find incredible value in developing my leadership and management skills and applying insights to my organizational relationships. These insights stem from discussions with my various mentees around priorities, decision-making, alternate and unorthodox solutions, etc. Having mentees has been wonderful and instrumental in keeping me focused in different ways.
What Makes A Good Mentor?
Generally, a good mentor is someone who is motivated and energized, cares about developing others, and is willing to commit their time. At the same time, if you are a mentee, make sure to dedicate the time and energy necessary to be mentored properly. It’s most effective when there is a good match between the mentor and mentee—whether that be in backgrounds, skill sets, experiences, roles or facing similar challenges.
Recently, I had a mentee whose career trajectory was similar to mine, but most importantly, she was facing common issues that I faced at similar points in my career. As a result, there was plenty to share, discuss and discern.
I find goal setting to be rather important when finding a good mentor. As a mentee, you can identify a mentor who will be good only if you are clear in what you are looking to accomplish. The accountability always lies with mentees—you have to own that—however, a good mentor helps you get to a better framework especially if you are plagued by doubt and uncertainty.
A good mentor also builds trust, is discreet and respects confidentiality. You, as a mentee, should feel safe and be able to share in a frank and transparent conversation. I am someone who appreciates straight talk, and therefore, my best mentors were the ones who didn’t hesitate from highlighting my weaknesses and providing critiques—in a constructive manner.
How To Find A Mentor
Before you reach out to find a mentor, focus on goal setting. Map your goals, and set clear expectations on how a mentor can help you. If you are not sure, then at least define broad strokes and a directional path.
Look across various disciplines and functions, whether you are looking to find a mentor within your company or outside. Who do you look up to? Whose job would you like to have in the next five, 10 or 15 years? Do you have a role model where you work? A different functional and industry perspective, while matching for similar skill sets, experience and roles, may also be valuable. Do the research. Make sure it fits your needs.
If you are not a part of a mentor program and are searching on your own, identify and get to know them first. Have an exploratory chat, or follow them on LinkedIn. Understand their point of view. Essentially, establish a connection before asking them to be your mentor.
Sometimes, it makes perfect sense to start with your own professional network. We often already have people who provide advice in various ways, and all it takes is to grow that connection into an ongoing relationship. It’s also worth keeping in mind that a mentor does not always have to be older and experienced. Peer mentoring can be equally powerful.
Companies and organizations stand much better chances of advancing and achieving positive business outcomes when they help build leaders at every level. Mentorship is a great pathway for enhancing employee skills, advocating toward organizationwide diversity and driving the desired impact of corporate culture with far-reaching impact on employee development.
At an individual level, mentorship is insightful and beneficial. For me, this has been a transformational learning and growth experience, both as a mentor and as a mentee—it has been rewarding! Invest time in it, and keep at it.
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