5 Tips for Finding The Right Mentor
Image Credit: Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash
Finding the right mentor can help you achieve your goals, land a promotion, or solve a business problem.
Great mentorship will provide the guidance, knowledge, and skills you need to grow in your career.
How do you choose the mentor that will help get you where you want to be in your career? How do you decide who is the right fit? How do you know the relationship will be successful?
Helen conducted a series of interviews with leaders and professionals who had mentors in their careers. She asked them for their recommendations and advice on how people can find a mentor either within their workplace if they don’t have a program offer, or out in their industry and beyond. Some of the common themes, and best strategies for discovering your mentor from these interviews are outlined below.
Here are five things you should consider when looking for the mentor that is right for you.
1. Understand Why You Seek a Mentor
Before you begin your search for a mentor, you must understand why you are looking for a mentor and what you aim to achieve from a mentorship. The first step to knowing the why is establishing your goals. Do you want to develop new skills? Do you want to gain knowledge? Do you know what areas you want to grow or develop in? Answering these questions offers clarity on where you need guidance and will help you decide what you are looking for in a mentor. Understanding what you want from a mentorship will also help you communicate your needs and objectives to your mentor.
2. Grow Your Network
While you might already know the person you would like to ask to be your mentor, networking is a great way to meet and connect with potential mentors. Whether you decide to conduct your search on LinkedIn or you’re looking for a mentor within your organization, you need to connect with a variety of people to determine who will be the right fit for you. Meeting multiple people allows you to compare your compatibility with other potential mentors. You might find someone who you think is the right match. But you might also meet more potential mentors and realize someone else was a better match for you. Growing your network might also help you find potential mentors for other areas in your life.
3. Develop the Courage to Ask
Many mentor-mentee relationships often develop naturally or what we call organic mentorship. Sometimes asking someone you admire to become your mentor can be intimidating. But the fear of rejection shouldn’t be the obstacle that prevents you from finding your mentor. As a mentee, you need to build the courage to ask a potential mentor whether they are willing to mentor you. Don’t assume that someone won’t want to mentor you. Many mentors are happy to share their knowledge and value the opportunity to become a mentor. Take the initiative to decide how you will approach them and set up the initial meeting. A great strategy is to create a connection by engaging with their content on Linkedin before stating your ask. But we don’t recommend asking someone to be your mentor before the relationship has first evolved.
4. Determine The Right Fit
Now that you have narrowed down your potential mentors, how do you decide which one is the best fit? The right mentor should be someone who you trust, respect, and share the same values as you. These three things are important to consider because they will dictate the strength and success of the relationship.
A great mentor is someone you connect with and who will be transparent with you. You need to be able to develop a relationship with your mentor that is built on trust and honest communication. If a potential mentor isn't open-minded and you can't speak honestly with them, they might not be the right fit for you.
Most importantly, your mentor should be someone you want to learn from and who you strive to be. You look up to them and admire the achievements they've made in their career. This is someone who holds a position you would like to have in the next 5 or 10 years. They already have the knowledge and skills that'll help you achieve your goals. Ultimately the right mentor is invested in your growth and can see your potential.
5. Ask the Right Questions
After you’ve built a relationship with your potential ideal mentor and you’ve gained your confidence and clarity then it’s time to meet. When you meet a potential mentor, there are three things you should know about them: their availability, their experience, and their leadership style. Before you select your mentor, it’s important to determine if they are available to participate in a mentorship. They might already be mentoring someone else or don’t have the time to dedicate to becoming a mentor.
The next question to ask a potential mentor is whether or not they have mentored someone before. If they have experience as a mentor, they will be familiar with the mentor-mentee relationship and understand how to navigate it. If they have experience as a mentee, they will understand what you expect from the relationship.
Once you’ve confirmed their availability and previous experience, understanding their leadership style will give you an idea of what working with them will be like and help you decide if that style is right for you.
Once you’ve established your career goals and know what you want to achieve with mentorship, then you can take the steps to find the mentor that is right for you. Choosing the right mentor is essential to your personal and professional growth. Dedicating time to build a relationship and deciding who you are the most compatible with will ensure that you’ve selected the mentor that will meet your needs.
Did you know that Life Works Well offers programs and services that can help you develop the right mentor program for your organization? To learn more, click here!