Leaders who have been where we are trying to go can be a valuable asset to our journey. Often, the difficulty with finding our way is not scripting a desired outcome. Quite often, the difficulty is laying out a productive path to achieve the desired outcome. Finding the right path can be daunting. We may spend time delineating between several roads to take when only a few are truly viable. This is where a mentor would be helpful.
Mentors are individuals with expertise or greater experience in an area who guide other individuals (mentees) with lesser experience. They act as a trusted resource for those who want to achieve an intended outcome the mentor can influence. Mentors who have traveled a similar path can be a gem for new and emerging leaders.
When new leaders decide to pursue a mentor-mentee relationship, they should consider more than what they desire from the relationship. They also need to consider what actions they can take to get the partnership off to a great start. Mentees must do their part to ensure that the relationship is mutually rewarding and effective. With this notion in mind, the mentee should be ready to:
- Share how you landed on the leader to be your mentor. Citing genuine leadership characteristics you have noticed in the leader can be a natural way to build trust and respect. It is not meant to boost the mentor’s ego, but to draw attention to their strengths and positive influence.
- Discuss what you would like to achieve in the mentoring relationship. Creating clarity at the beginning of the partnership is key to building solid structure and focus throughout the engagement. The mentor and mentee should discuss expectations up front and establish clear, measurable goals for the partnership.
- Explore how best the mentor can support you. Communicate openly about desired outcomes, challenges, and needs. Be specific about what you would like to gain from the relationship. Please don’t waste time telling your mentor what you think he or she wants to hear. Be honest. If the mentor is unable or unwilling to support you how you would like, it’s best to learn this at the onset.
- Explain where you are now regarding your goals (what have you tried so far?) In most cases, new or emerging leaders are already taking some action toward their intended goals. Don’t overlook the progress you’ve made thus far. You may be closer to a desired outcome than you think. Sharing your actions so far will help you and your mentor move forward more quickly.
- Thank them for their consideration. Be sure to show gratitude. Most leaders mentor new and emerging leaders on their own time outside of work hours. It is a sacrifice to make yourself available to someone consistently while also managing a busy schedule. Simply agreeing to set aside quality time to partner when it is not explicitly required is commendable.
Before asking a leader to become your mentor, spend some earnest time determining what you want to achieve in the relationship and why it is important to you. Determining these things ahead of time will let your mentor know that you value the investment of partnering together. You don’t need to have all the answers, but you alone are best to decide where you would like to go in your leadership career.
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