Oliver Wendall Holmes once said: “Learn from the mistakes of others... You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Being able to learn from others’ experiences and mistakes is how one sets themselves up for success. One of my favorite motivational speakers is Eric Thomas. The speech that made him famous was the story about the guru and student. In the story, the student goes to a guru who is very successful. The student wants to learn from the guru and is willing to do anything the guru says. The guru teaches the student that success only comes when you want it as badly as you want to breathe. I love this story because it shows the power of mentorship. The student may have come to that conclusion on his own at some point but he saved a lot of time by going to the guru instead. The power of mentorship is extraordinary and has changed both my personal and professional life. If you want to know how mentorship can propel your career, keep reading.
Why is Mentorship Important
Imagine a scenario where you are leading your first project and you have a pressing deadline that you may not be able to meet. You have not been in this scenario and don’t know how you are going to complete the task at hand. You reach out to your mentor and walk through the situation. During your conversation they provide some strategies you never thought of. You apply your learnings and are able to meet your deadline and receive great feedback. This is a simple example of how impactful mentorship can be. One of the greatest advantages is being able to have an outside perspective, and this is why mentorship is so important. We are able to perform better when we have someone who can be our sounding board for ideas and see our blind spots. We live in a society where getting help is a sign of weakness. But those who choose to get the help they need, always grow much faster than those who don't.
Determine What A Mentor Is For You
The definition of a mentor is broad and can be ambiguous. It can range from someone who has a few more months experience than you, or someone with decades of knowledge. However, not all mentors are created equal and some are much more beneficial than others. When looking for a mentor keep the following criteria in mind:
Someone who is available to connect with you regularly
Someone who can provide context and perspective in your current situation. Consider someone who has been in your role previously
A person who has worked in a similar organization or industry as you
A professional who has an extensive network
Someone who can help you reach your goals
There are plenty more things that can be added, but these are some of the quick notes that come to mind. A mentoring relationship can be awesome, but in order for it to be successful you need to define what you are looking for within the relationship.
How To Find Mentors
Telling you about all the great aspects of mentorship is worthless if you cannot find one. So where do you find a mentor? It might not be as hard as you think. Mentors can be people you work with, previous bosses, former teachers, directors outside of your organization, and the like. In order to cultivate a strong relationship, it requires effort and initiation on your end. If you don’t know where to start below are some tips to find mentors
Tips:
Network directly within your organization. Reach out to the manager/ director of another team that works within your department.
Join a LinkedIn group related to your field. Look through some of the members and reach out to profiles that are more senior than you.
Research online organizations that connect mentoring relationships.
Reach out to friends or family that are successful in their careers
Conclusion
In conclusion, mentoring relationships are a major key to success. If you research the top performers in the world, they have all had mentors throughout their lifetime. We become better as people when we have others communicate the things that we cannot see. Don't let the societal norm of "you have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps" prevent you from finding this person. Instead look for this relationship so that you can see the benefits of having someone in your corner. So what is stopping you from finding your next mentoring relationship?
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