Mentoring - why? And how to pick your mentor?
Almost every career book you pick up these days tells you that it is imperative to have a mentor! So many people run off and cop the best mentor they can find. I often wonder - have they really thought about why they need a mentor and then importantly how to pick the right one.
Almost every organisation has a mentoring programme in place, many run centrally by HR or the specific function within the company. This is a good start but in my opinion a staid and inflexible system. Firstly the mentees and mentors don’t really get to choose each other but are ‘matched’ by a mentoring professional or company based upon some criteria. This can work well but a mentor selected by the mentee for the right reasons will be so much more valuable. So how to start I hear you say??? Easy…..
- Put a lot of thought into what you want from the mentor – career guidance? Tapping into savvy political skills? Links to other associates that will broaden your network? A sounding board (truthful)?
- Draw up a short list of potential mentors and check their availability by asking around. Chances are that the most prestigious mentors may already be overcommitted and may not have the time for you – not really achieving the objective… so do consider more broadly.
- Once you have selected the mentor, approach him/her with the rationale for why you want them as a mentor, accept that you as the mentee are responsible for running the programme i.e. setting appointments etc and go!
- If you have more than 1 clear objective from the mentoring – consider the possibility of having a second mentor. This can be particularly beneficial if you are considering a move outside your current functional line or if there are more personal issues you feel more comfortable discussing with a person closer to you.
- If the mentoring relationship is not working – try to understand why and as appropriate, have the courage to say it and move onto the next mentor.
In many organisations mentoring implies seniority – don’t get locked into this. An incredibly rich source of advice is with your colleagues – so peer mentoring can work just as well and will further strengthen your network. Last but not least, choose a mentor with whom you can share your dreams and concerns and also a good laugh.