Look at all of the truly successful people you know, all of those tales of great people you’ve encountered, and you find they have a couple of important things in common. One of these is mentorship. Every great person had a great mentor, someone who provided them guidance, advice, and support.
We all know this. Everyday we hear another source telling us to get a mentor. Whether it’s an entrepreneur in our community to guide us through that journey, or someone within our organization who can help guide us, mentors are vital. But how do you find a mentor? We have some steps to help you do just that.
• Step #1 – Know Your Goals – How do you even know who should be your mentor in the first place? Simple, you don’t. A mentor should be a person who has walked the path you are looking to walk, and so your goals are vital. Take some time to consider what goals you have for yourself as a person and professional. This will give you a basis for what type of mentor you are looking for.
• Step #2 – Make the Time – A mentoring relationship is an investment, and it needs to be treated as such. Make sure you have the time available, and are willing to block it out, for your mentor. If you don’t take this seriously, how can you expect them to?
• Step #3 – Make A Wish List – Take some time to research and make a list of people who you think would be good mentors for you. Take a look and review your goals. Look for mentors who have experience that can help you achieve those. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask the people with the biggest reputations or the most success to mentor you. How do you expect to be like them if you don’t ask and learn?
• Step #4 –Just Ask – Maybe the scariest part of this is approaching the person you want to mentor you and asking them to do so. Just remember that these are people too, and they were once in your shoes. Mentors want to give something back; they want to work with you. If you’re still nervous, here are some good tips to get them on board.
• Step #5 – Get Started – You’ve put in all of that work to find a mentor, be proactive with beginning that relationship. It’s too easy to stop, take a break, and never get started. Take the initiative it’s worth it.
What Charles Foster Can Do for You
Our team at Charles Foster is dedicated to helping you find quality talent that will stay with your company for years to come. If you need some help implementing the right incentive programs or coming up with a plan to increase job satisfaction amongst your employees, feel free to contact us. We will do everything we can to ensure your employees are loyal and productive every day.