Mentoring relationships can be extremely effective in the business world. Working closely with, taking cues from, and being guided by the knowledge and experience of someone who has spent a lot of time and achieved great success in your industry or your company can really boost your career—not to mention the potential networking opportunities that come with developing a close relationship with someone with influence and a large contact list. But the approach to the relationship is important.
Most business people would agree that mentors can provide big benefits. Many, though, take a casual approach to finding a mentor, feeling that mentors will find them. Unfortunately, that casual approach is likely to result in no, or poor, mentorship. Instead, employees should proactively act to find and engage with a professional mentor that can help to propel their careers forward.
Lisa Quast, in an article for Forbes titled, “Finding a Mentor Is Easier Than You Think,” offers four simple tips anyone can follow when seeking to establish a mentor relationship.
Clarify What You Want
Be clear to yourself regarding what you are looking for in a mentorship relationship. Is it someone to help you network? Someone to help you navigate the corporate hierarchy within your organization? Someone to share years of industry experience? Knowing up front what you are looking for will help make sure your mentor relationship is productive and beneficial.
Think Outside Your Cubicle, and Don’t Restrict Yourself
Mentors don’t have to come from within your own organization. In fact, for a variety of reasons, it may be better to look outside your own company: You’ll have a greater pool of potential mentors to choose from, for one thing. You’ll also open yourself up to an entirely new organization or industry that can help you gain new perspectives—and valuable connections.
Make a Move
Making the move to reach out to potential mentors to suggest a meeting is the most difficult part of the mentorship process for many people. It’s almost like working up the nerve to ask someone on a date, but it definitely doesn’t need to feel that way. The worst they can do is say no. And, in reality, most mentors will tell you that they feel very honored to be asked by someone to share their wisdom.
Be Clear About Your Expectations
Acting as a mentor can be a big commitment. You owe it to your mentor to be up front with what your expectations are regarding the relationship. That includes frequency of meeting, time commitments, facilitating networking, etc.
Mentoring can provide great opportunities for both mentees and mentors. Many organizations go out of their way to help facilitate the creation of mentor-mentee relationships. But, even if yours doesn’t, that doesn’t mean that you should take a “sit back and wait” approach to forming one of these relationships. Take the initiative to seek out, and engage with, a mentor on your own.