Mentorship: A Relationship That Can Change Your Life
Having a mentor can help you to grow not only in your career, but create more intentional relationships that will help you to grow personally. Having a mentor is essential in today's challenging business environment. The assistance of a mentor can be invaluable as you go through your professional life as they can aid in goal-setting, skill-building, and extending one's professional sphere of influence.
In this blog, I share what mentoring is, how a mentor can help you, and how to find a mentor. Hopefully you will be inspired to find a mentor or even become a mentor to someone else.
WHAT IS MENTORING?
"A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself." - Oprah Winfrey
According to the Academy of Management, "when an older, more experienced member of an organization takes a junior colleague “under his or her wing,” aiding in the organizational socialization of the less experienced person and passing along knowledge gained through years of living within the organization, a mentoring relationship is said to exist."
WHAT CAN A MENTOR HELP YOU WITH?
A mentor can be a priceless resource for give advice, encouragement and assistance as you go through your professional life. They can also help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and create a strategy for success whether you're looking to build new skills, get a promotion, or change your career.
A mentor is someone who can teach you from their own experience and expertise. As a result of this relationship, you may improve your knowledge, sharpen your abilities, and go forward in your job by doing so. They can also help you to expand your network by introducing you to other professionals in your industry if they know people who you could also benefit from knowing.
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A MENTOR
Michelle R. Ferguson, SVP of Global Business Services for McGraw Hill Financial, was co-founder of their mentoring program. In a Jam Session for the Ellevate women's network, she shares how to find, build and maintain a successful mentor partnership. She said that the best mentor relationships are filled with two-way learning and reciprocation. A mentor can help you with many things, but it's important to choose the right mentor. According to Ferguson, "a mentee is in the driver’s seat and needs to take the lead. That includes scheduling the meetings, coming up with an agenda and being specific about the goals. A mentorship is a two-way exchange. It’s a way to trade best practice ideas and experiences." Although mentoring can be a powerful relationship, it can also be a not so rewarding experience if you choose the wrong mentor, such as your manager. It's difficult to be extremely open and honest with your manager about certain challenges you may be facing with work, especially when part of your challenge may be their management style.
HOW CAN I FIND A MENTOR?
There are several paths