Becoming a Mentor

I have been fortunate to have had great mentors at various time during my business career. I have learned a lot from each mentor and value the relationships I have made while being mentored.

Now it is time for me to be a mentor to someone who has potential to learn from the mentor experience. Serving as a mentor is different and distinct from being mentored. However, having had several outstanding mentors in my career, I have learned a great deal about mentoring which I can pass on to others.

If you are asked to be a mentor, here are some things to consider beforehand:

Spend some time getting to know each other as people as well as colleagues. Ask the mentee to share their verbal resume to understand their work challenges but also their hopes and dreams.

This process goes both ways. A mentor needs to be comfortable sharing their background as well as who they are as people. These conversations are critical to developing a strong mentor/mentee relationship.

Serving as a mentor can be time consuming. Be sure you understand what will be expected of you. Set some ground rules for working together. Do you have the time available to meet the mentoring obligations? How often will you and your mentee meet? Will you meet in person or virtually? Will you, as the mentee, assign prework before a mentoring session?

Determine if the mentor relationship be time bound or open ended. Sometimes, a mentor is selected for a specific project. If that is the case, be sure you both know what will be expected of both parties.

Once the two of  you are comfortable with each other and have your ground rules in place, it’s time to get started. Remember to:

• Be curious

• Ask questions

• Listen carefully

• Craft a meeting agenda for each session

• Take good notes

• Have some fun along the way

Being asked to serve as a mentor is an honor and a privilege. It must be taken seriously and if you don’t feel the timing is right, it is perfectly acceptable to decline the offer. However, if you do have to say no, be gracious but most of all, be honest so that you maintain the relationship whether or not you serve as that person’s mentor down the road.

Whether you are a mentor or a mentee, embrace the experience. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn from others but also to share the knowledge and experience you’ve gained.