I’m captivated by the plethora of articles starting with “4 ways to…” or “5 things to…”. And while some reads are a bit senseless, this one packs some real ideas about being a mentor that you can put into practice. Here are my favorite three (because I truly believe in the rule of three).
1) Decide your “why” and make the time – pay it forward, develop your skills, leave your legacy, build your network…whatever your reason, defining your why will help you set your goals and a reasonable expectation for your commitment of time and energy. Don’t over-complicate this evaluation. Whether you decide to enter into a formal mentoring program, or simply utilize mentoring moments (LinkedIn Learning), the important thing is to Do It!
2) Inquire within your own company – my friend Michele Hix was surprised to learn that her company, Schneider Electric, has a formal mentoring program, it’s just not widely promoted. If your company doesn’t have a mentoring program, perhaps you can make a case to start one. Regardless, there are many places beyond your own company to offer your experience and knowledge as a mentor, a few ideas are: through a community or professional association (AMA, Ellevate Network, Girls Inc), through LinkedIn (share this post in your news feed with an offer to be a mentor), or use your email connections and add “I’m willing to mentor” to your email signature. And don’t just look at “younger” individuals to mentor, it’s proven that people of all ages and experience levels can benefit from a mentoring relationship. So also think about reverse mentoring or peer mentoring.
3) Be patient – building a relationship of mutual respect and trust takes time. Sometimes, you may feel like you have a “lack of chemistry” with your mentee. No need to worry. Research shows that “chemistry” is not the decisive factor for successful mentoring. Rather, it's the mutual desire to work together and communicate effectively that creates the success. So, if you feel you’re lacking “chemistry” with your mentee, give the partnership your best shot for at least 6 meetings. At a minimum, you are exposing yourself to a new point of view that could enhance and broaden yours, and you may even find a commonality during the six meetings.
If you want to learn more about being a mentor or starting a mentoring program, please reach out to me at info@kjcompany.net or check out my website www.kjcompany.net.