Q What recommendations do you have for someone seeking a mentor?
As an executive leader, consultant, and coach, there isn't a week that goes by that I'm not asked: "Would you mentor me?" These four words can influence your career decisions, relationships, and goals. Therefore, it's particularly important to know how to select an appropriate mentor for you.
Kathy Kram, who produced the foundational work on mentorship, provides a more detailed description of mentorship functions, splitting them into two main categories: career and psychosocial.1 Career functions of mentorship serve the mentee's career-related goals by initiating and familiarizing them with the profession; these functions include sponsorship, exposure and visibility, protection, coaching, and providing and evaluating challenging assignments. The psychosocial functions serve more to treat the mentee as a whole person, focusing on their confidence and identity within their field.
Ann Tardy takes a more holistic perspective and defines a mentor as a trusted champion others seek out for advice, perspectives, ideas, resources, encouragement, validation, and hope.2 Therefore, selecting a mentor should be a purposeful decision based on your goals, aspirations, and needs that will lead to specific results or improvement in your career or professional endeavors.
Think it through
My approach to answering this question is to address the why, what, when, and where before addressing the who.
Why? You've reached a point in your career when you want to go to another level, which may include a promotion, public speaking, authoring a paper, or moving to another role outside your current position. "Why" suggests: I can't do this on my own; I need support, guidance, and the expertise of someone more professionally mature and accomplished.
What? Prior to choosing a mentor, ask: What makes a mentor important now? What would you like to achieve, what do you aspire to, and what are your goals? Moreover, what do you bring to the relationship and what are you willing to contribute to it? What professional knowledge does the individual possess that makes this person attractive as a mentor?
When? Is this a point in your professional life when you believe you want to do more? The "more" can be taking on a new role, publishing an article, presenting a poster, delivering a podium talk, pivoting to a new career, pitching an innovation, or accepting a position in your specialty organization. The "when" suggests that you need a thought partner and guidance to achieve your goals and aspirations.
Where? A mentor can be found within your unit, workplace, school, or professional organization. The "where" is anywhere. There are benefits to having a mentor who's inside or outside of your current organization. A mentor can also be found in the community, outside of your professional circles, and even outside of your industry. The reality is that where you find the person isn't as important as who you select as your mentor.
Who? Identify a person (or people) who can commit to mentoring someone: Who has the time and professional acumen to assist you in achieving your goals? In addition, do your beliefs and values align? What's his or her mentoring approach and style? Will this person be open and honest with you regarding feedback? Does the relationship allow both of you to be authentic?
Take it slow
Selecting a mentor will be one of the most important decisions in your career. Like any relationship, it may take time to build and therefore shouldn't be rushed. Both the mentor and mentee are seeking some mutual benefit from the relationship. Although the positives of professional mentoring are many, the selection process must be well thought out.
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