226 / BECOMING SUCCESSFUL
Defining the role
Mentors are people who guide others
through periods of change toward
agreed objectives. They can help you in
a number of ways. First, they can enable
you to work through your problems in
a safe environment. They may not solve
your problems for you (you need to learn
to do so), but they will ask questions to
make you analyze your position and alert
you to pitfalls or alternatives. Second,
they can give advice. This may be in the
form of what to do, or who to approach
within the organization to obtain help.
They may point you toward training
and development programs, or suggest
projects that you should consider
being involved with.
Third, they may open up your career.
They may have access to interesting job
opportunities before they become widely
available and may suggest roles that you
would never have considered. If they are
external to your company, they may have
their own network of contacts, but don’t
expect this as part of the relationship.
Choosing a mentor
Your organization may run a
mentoring service, but if they do
not, you will have to set up a more
informal mentoring relationship.
The person you select as your
mentor must, of course, possess
the experience you want to access
and should also be someone with
whom you can build a good working
relationship. He or she may not be a
technical expert in the field in which
you are working. This can be a real
advantage because it enables you
to work through issues from a
fresh perspective.
Working with a mentor
Finding and using a good mentor can be highly beneficial both to your
career and to your personal well-being. A good mentor is impartial, has
more experience than you in key areas, and acts as a safe and effective
sounding board for your ideas.
of companies in
one survey claimed
that their mentoring
programs helped
increase their
employee retention
77%
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WORKING WITH A MENTOR / 227
Mentoring in-house
Mentors are typically separate from
the line-management relationship,
but your boss may be the ideal
candidate, especially when the
difference in age and seniority is
large. Some companies establish
roles where this is designed to
happen—Assistant to the Managing
Director, for example.
If you have a very senior manager
or director as your mentor, it can
open doors to people whom you
would not normally meet. Also,
it may give you insights into the
organization’s political process,
identify career opportunities, and
protect you when things go wrong.
Qualities of a good mentor
The attributes of a good mentor depend
on your circumstances and on your
specific role, but he or she should
always be:
•
Someone you respect and trust,
and who won’t always just agree
with what you say
•
Someone you consider to be a
role model
•
Someone who listens, probing what
you say in order to understand you
•
Someone who is genuinely interested
in you and what you want to do, and
who is available when
you need help.
THINK BEFORE
YOU SPEAK
Remember that
your boss is part
of the organization,
so if he or she is
your mentor, be
cautious about
being completely
open about every
aspect of your
ambitions or
personal life.
Tip
ASK YOURSELF...
YES NOWhat type of mentor do I need?
1 Have I decided if I need someone who is internal or external
to my current organization? .............................................................
2 Is there a specific issue I really want help with? .............................
3 Is this a short-term need, not a long-term relationship? ..............
4 Is there an area of expertise my mentor should have
(psychology, leadership, career guidance)? ....................................
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