A Mentee’s Guide to Mentorships
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Many seek guidance from mentors to help them reach their goals, but as a mentee, there are a few things you should keep an eye out for when choosing the right mentor.
Mentors can give you guidance and show you what steps you need to take to get to where you want to be. Mentors also share their knowledge, experiences and resources in order to help the mentee improve their skills and grow.
However, choosing a mentor is not a “one size fits all” model.
Different mentors have different mentoring styles and personalities so it is important to do your research and talk to many different people when looking for one.
Also, the mentor-mentee relationship is one that should feel natural and not forced, so there are a few tips you can follow when entering a mentor-mentee relationship to ensure the mentor of your choice is the right mentor for you.
1. Know Where to Look
The first step to becoming a mentee is finding the right mentor. There are many websites you can visit to find a mentor, but the most efficient way to find the right mentor that matches your needs is to look for mentors in your area that are experienced in what you want to improve on.
An example of this can be if you are a new immigrant to Canada, you might want a mentor to help you navigate the new working environment or offer guidance on how to progress in your professional career. A mentor can also help you with personal growth too, so finding a mentor with the right expertise can help you to learn and grow.
Here are some great organizations that offer great mentorships:
Us! - Life Works Well
2. Build Trust and Open Communication with your Mentor
Once you find the right mentor, the next step is developing trust. Developing trust with your mentor is beneficial for a healthy mentor-mentee relationship. Being able to trust and communicate with your mentor will help you to get the most out of your mentorship and building a relationship, or even a friendship, with your mentor, can open up a whole new world of communication.
By building an open channel for communication you can identify your needs to your mentor and what you want to gain from the mentorship. Be sure to remember that communication works both ways so you should try to ask questions and take the initiative to talk to your mentor to keep the relationship going. Once you build a relationship with your mentor, you’ll be comfortable enough to talk about any obstacle that might be in your way.
3. Have Reasonable Goals
Setting reasonable goals and having realistic expectations for the mentorship can benefit you in many ways. Setting reasonable goals at the beginning of the relationship can help you to understand what your end goal is and how to get there. Having reasonable goals gives you a clear idea of what area you need assistance with and narrows down what you want to achieve. Creating a clear path also ensures that no mishaps happen along the way in the planning and executing process towards your goal.
Having reasonable expectations of your mentor can also help when you are starting a mentorship because it will help you to realize that a single mentor may not satisfy all of your needs over the course of your professional career, and that’s okay. Setting a reasonable goal with reasonable expectations for your current mentor can help you to reach your current goal, and if you need other mentors for other aspects of your life, later on, you can always seek them out for guidance too.
4. Be Respectful
We cannot stress this tip enough. Always be respectful towards your mentors. Everyone deserves respect and that includes mentors. Mentors take time out of their very busy lives to provide guidance to their mentees, so always give them the respect that they deserve. This includes letting your mentor know at least 24 hours in advance whether you need to cancel sessions with them as well as knowing when to send them a message for guidance outside of mentoring sessions.
According to Ashira Prossack from Forbes, the most respectful thing to do in a mentorship when a question arises outside of a session is to make note of it for the next session unless it is urgent. Prossack writes:
“Save the times that you do reach out to them for the big things, and make a list of the smaller questions you come up with to ask at your next session. This shows that you respect their time, and also forces you to put things into perspective and focus on what’s really important.” - Ashira Prossack from Forbes.
By showing consideration towards your mentor’s time, you demonstrate that you are respectful of their boundaries so neither party feels that they are being taken advantage of.
5. Take Action
A mentor will give you the guidance to succeed, but once you have that guidance it is up to you to put it into action. If your mentor has taught you new skills, applying them to your everyday work can help you to learn and develop those skills even more. Additionally, if your mentor has given you tasks to accomplish, having them ready for your next mentoring session will give you and your mentor the chance to discuss your progress and what you can improve on.
Some mentors also have connections that may align with your professional career, so if your mentor opens doors for you, make sure to walk through them because every opportunity can be a helpful one. Once you get motivated and take action towards your goal, you will be much closer to what you want to achieve.
Choosing the right mentor can make a world of difference in trying to reach your goals. By building trust and being able to openly communicate what you want out of the mentor-mentee relationship, you’ll have the foundation built for a meaningful mentorship.
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!