Finding the Right Mentor or Mentee

Quick reference

• 00:04 Welcome back.
• 00:04 In this lesson, we're going to discuss what makes a mentor or
• 00:09 a mentee the right fit for you.
• 00:11 So let's start with finding the right mentor.
• 00:15 Having a mentor with experience relating to your goals and interests is crucial.
• 00:21 Equally important is their communication style and
• 00:24 ability to give constructive feedback.
• 00:26 They should not only be knowledgeable, but also willing and
• 00:30 able to effectively share their knowledge with you.
• 00:33 Now, if you're the mentor,
• 00:35 evaluating potential mentees requires a different perspective.
• 00:39 Just as mentors should be invested in the development of their mentees,
• 00:44 those mentees should be ambitious, receptive to feedback, and
• 00:48 dedicated to their own self-improvement.
• 00:51 Remember, a successful mentoring relationship requires effort from
• 00:56 both sides.
• 00:56 That's why before we continue, I want you to take note of those
• 01:01 attributes I mentioned for both mentors and mentees.
• 01:05 If you're going to have the opportunity to mentor someone, yes,
• 01:08 choosing the right mentee is important.
• 01:11 But those ideal attributes for
• 01:13 a successful mentor are ones you need to embrace.
• 01:16 Accepting the role of mentor means you need to be engaged in your
• 01:21 mentee's progress, willing to give constructive feedback,
• 01:26 and be open to sharing what you know.
• 01:29 And on the flip side, if you know you're going to be paired up with a mentor,
• 01:33 you have an incredible opportunity to learn.
• 01:36 There's really no substitute for learning from someone in a live work environment.
• 01:41 You can watch them, ask questions, and see what's expected from
• 01:45 a more experienced professional in your company or industry.
• 01:50 So, ask yourself, are you interested in improving your skills?
• 01:54 Are you willing to listen to constructive feedback and act on it?
• 01:59 And will you do the extra work necessary to level yourself up?
• 02:03 Now, let's assume you decide you want to work with a specific mentor or mentee.
• 02:09 Either you've identified someone who you think could help you learn and grow in
• 02:14 your career, or there's someone you think could benefit from your experience.
• 02:19 How do you approach them.
• 02:21 The steps are pretty similar in either case.
• 02:24 First, ask to speak with them.
• 02:26 That might mean scheduling some time or going to share a coffee,
• 02:31 or if you're online, ask to do a quick video call.
• 02:35 Respect their time as they may be very busy,
• 02:38 and you should assume you've got limited time to chat.
• 02:42 And that's why it's important you prepare what you're going to say.
• 02:46 It's important to be clear and direct with your intentions.
• 02:50 So, outline the goals that you have in mind for this relationship.
• 02:55 Tell them what is it you're looking for.
• 02:57 What are you hoping they can provide, or what do you plan on doing for them?
• 03:03 Sharing these goals should reveal what the benefits are for both of you.
• 03:09 And also, it helps to pitch some ideas on how this relationship could work.
• 03:14 If you want to learn from a more experienced colleague,
• 03:17 you could suggest that you shadow them while they perform complex tasks.
• 03:21 Or ask to sit in on important calls to learn how they happen.
• 03:26 Or as a potential mentor, you could offer similar opportunities to the mentee.
• 03:31 But either way, let them know you are open to finding convenient,
• 03:36 helpful ways for knowledge to be shared.
• 03:40 For example, your conversation with a potential mentor could go like this.
• 03:45 Hey, Andrea, I'm very interested in learning how to write up and
• 03:50 manage contracts, and I was hoping you might be able to help me learn.
• 03:55 If you're interested, I would appreciate scheduling some time with you to ask
• 03:59 questions from time to time.
• 04:01 Maybe I could sit in during one of your next client meetings and
• 04:05 see what the contract approval process is like.
• 04:08 Whether this is sent as a message or as part of your direct pitch,
• 04:12 clearly voicing your interests, as well as your willingness to learn
• 04:16 will help the other person understand your goals and how they can help.
• 04:21 Now, imagine this from the other person's perspective.
• 04:24 They might contact a potential mentee like this.
• 04:28 Hi, Rich, I was interested in knowing if you'd like to
• 04:31 learn about our contract process here at the company.
• 04:35 Since you work on similar documents, I think you'd benefit from this knowledge,
• 04:39 and it would help our company if more people understood it.
• 04:43 I'm willing to answer any questions you might have,
• 04:46 and if you're willing to take on a side project or two, I think you'd learn a lot.
• 04:51 As someone hoping to improve their skills and
• 04:54 potentially move up in a company receiving this kind of offer from
• 04:58 a potential mentor would present an exciting opportunity.
• 05:02 One last thing, the perfect mentor or mentee doesn't really exist.
• 05:08 Forming a mentoring relationship with someone is about
• 05:12 finding someone who can help you grow.
• 05:15 The end result may be someone who becomes a trusted colleague or friend, or
• 05:20 perhaps, it's a stepping stone to the next mentoring relationship and
• 05:25 further professional development.
• 05:27 But if you approach this with clear goals in mind,
• 05:31 you'll know if this was all worth the effort.
• 05:34 The process may require patience, but the right relationship is well worth the wait.
• 05:41 In the next lesson,
• 05:42 we'll discuss how to establish clear expectations in a mentoring relationship.
• 05:47 That includes defining roles and responsibilities, and setting up clear,
• 05:51 effective communication.
• 05:53 We'll see you then.

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