A mentor is someone you seek out when you are trying to achieve a goal
who can help you on the way.If you were going to climb a mountain – who would you ask to help you navigate your way up to the top?
Why, you’d ask the person who walks up and down the mountain every day – they are successful in whatever you are wanting to do and they live and breathe the
environment of whatever they are doing.So this is the sort of person you want as your mentor.
Most people have never had a mentor before, and for those that do, they never really appreciated what their mentor could do for them and never got the benefits available.
I believe that having the habit of looking for mentors in every endeavour you set out upon is a great strategy and one that you would be advised to adopt.So what can a mentor do for you?
Generally they can help you by:
- Believing in you
- Offering you valuable advice on how to move forwards
- Help you develop resourceful and effective plans to help you reach your destination
- Help you identify and anticipate obstacles and threats on your way
- Introduce you to valuable contacts within the industry they work in
Now all of that’s really going to help you on your way! ....so how do you get someone to mentor you?
You need to meet them, tell them what you want to do, tell them how you see them as a successful person in their field and then ask them if they would be your mentor and help you on your way.
I know – it sounds like I’m asking you to be cocky and go and ask a big favor, but you know what? Successful people are delighted at the chance to help someone on their way. Trust me on this one!
When you ask them that, you also need to let them know that you will respect their busy life and precious spare time by:
- Assuring them that you only want to meet for coffee or you only want to meet with them for 10-15 minutes, or if that doesn’t suit:
- That you can meet them by phone or skype.
- You promise that whatever advice they give you will take
- You promise that whatever action they suggest to you, you will d0
- That you will phone up any lead they give you and will either call your mentor back after you have spoken with that person with the results of the meeting
- That you will fit into their schedule
- That you will treat your relationship with them as valuable and a personal privilege
- …and, make sure you pay for their coffee! Keep your pride in yourself!
- Make sure you celebrate your successes with them - send them thank you cards, texts and emails! Thank them, thank them, thank them!
So, in short you are promising them that you won’t take up too much of their time and you won’t be making any demands on them.
The funny thing about mentors is that they start to take an interest in you. They start seeing that they can help you avoid the mistakes and failures they have had and they begin to take an interest in helping you move forward. There’s something about giving back, having a protégée and leaving a legacy of their experience and knowledge that motivates someone to be a mentor for someone else.
So how will this help you get a job in the industry you love, achieve an important goal or help you on your new adventure?
Your mentor will help you by:
- Giving you a vision of what a successful person looks like, dresses like, smells like, talks like…..they give you a great example of what to model!
- Giving you feedback along your way to help you improve your performance
- Give you inside industry knowledge, hot tips and great insider contacts
- Encouraging you
- Letting you know about jobs that aren't even advertised!
A mentor can help you save time in being a success in the areas that you choose to play in. If you can understand what a mentor can do for you, understand the protocol of the relationship and maintain and honor the relationship, you will have success not possible by you operating in a vacuum by yourself.
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