MENTORING: Finding the right fit...

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            FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

            ZARA JAYNE

LEADERONOMICS.COM

mystarjob.com; Saturday 24 May 2014

ACCORDING TO Jamie Walters, writer from Inc.com, ‘a good mentoring relationship allows both mentor and mentee to develop new talents and build self-awareness.’  In the business environment, a mentor develops leadership skills whereas a mentee has a deeper understanding of the corporate culture.  However, it is not always easy to find the ‘right’ mentor that you can easily get along and work with.  Here are a few tips to consider when identifying a suitable mentor:

1.    Take the next step and be proactive

For some, the mentor mentee relationship comes naturally.  Certain people are able to click instantly and their mentoring relationship begins with minimal effort.  Don’t just wait for it to happen.  Take initiative to find a suitable mentor.  Be willing to take that step to build a good mentoring relationship right from the start.

2.   Begin to know yourself

Evaluate your own personality and which types of personalities complement your style.  Think about where you are in your career and where you would like to be.  Recognize your strengths and weaknesses so that your mentor is able to help you grow.

3.   Have an open mind

Your mentor may not necessarily be a senior leader or even be in the same business.  Mentors are people who empower you to grow in various areas.  Look for someone who exemplifies the traits and skills that you want to adopt.

4.   Have goals for this relationship

Set some objectives for this mentoring relationship.

A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear,

Who has you see what you don’t want to see,

So you can be who you have always known you could be

Tom Landry

The best teacher is not the one who knows most

But the one who is most capable of reducing knowledge to that simple compound of the obvious and wonderful

H. L. Mencken