5 Top tips on mentoring - how to make it work for you
Mentoring can be a great way to help you navigate your career, but only if the mentor and mentee relationship is a good fit and an effective one. Here are our top tips on how to get the most out of your mentoring.
1. - Plan and prepare
Before you even have a mentor, think about what you want to get out of the mentoring. Is it to provide you with general help and support or is it to help you in transitioning into a new role or organisation? Pick or ask for a mentor who can help you work on your chosen areas. For example if as a woman you want to learn how women can succeed in male dominated sectors, a successful female rather than a male, would be a good option. But if you wanted tips on improving your skills in a certain area look for subject matter experts that can help you with this.
When you have your mentor, make sure you think about what you want to cover in your sessions beforehand. Don’t just turn up and expect the mentor to do all the work. Mentor sessions should be driven by you. It is worth thinking about what you would like to discuss before the session. Discuss with your mentor your goals and challenges before you get started so your mentor knows how best to help you.
2. - Honesty is the best policy
If you can’t open up and trust your mentor then it isn’t worth having one. If you can trust your mentor that’s when you will truly open up and give them the whole picture and that is when they are more likely to be able to help and support you. Mutual trust means that you are happy to confide in each other. If you are concerned about opening up to someone within your organisation, this may be when having a mentor who is external to your company can really help.
3. - Respect
Respect your mentor. They are giving their time, often from a busy schedule, in the hope of helping you. Respect them by showing up on time, not cancelling sessions at last minute and by being prepared for your time together. Also respect them by not bombarding them with questions in between your sessions. It is good practice to store and save up things to discuss with them at your next session and only reach out to them in between sessions when something really big comes up.
4. - Accept that you may disagree
Mentors often give advice based on their experience and expertise but it doesn’t mean it is the right advice for you. Know when to take the advice and when to do something different. But as per the tips above, be open with your mentor about why you chose a different course of action.
5. - Don’t be afraid to walk away
Sometimes the mentoring relationship comes to a natural end. But if you are finding you are no longer getting anything from the mentoring maybe it has served its purpose and it is time to walk away. If the mentoring has worked really well, often the mentor and mentee stay in touch on a more informal basis anyway. Once you have reached your goals it is worth considering whether to have a break from the mentoring.
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Written by Helen Sandford-Taylor
Co-Founder of Nonpareil Network
Helen is an ILM 7 Executive Coach and Strategy Consultant. She runs her own consultancy, helping organisations and businesses develop strategies to differentiate themselves and grow successfully. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management.
