National Mentoring Month: 6 Considerations for Selecting a Mentor
Like any other working relationship, mentoring requires compatibility, cooperation and common goals.
January 20, 2022
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In navigating the business world, it can be intimidating to try and forge a path you don’t know anything about. Having a mentor allows you to bounce ideas, emotions and career paths off someone whose expertise and opinions you value. Select someone with whom you resonate, who has walked a specific path already and who can offer advice.
Selecting a close friend or parent as a mentor is not ideal. They bring too much emotion into the relationship. It would be better to source someone who understands you and can offer insight into a particular aspect of your life or career.
I personally have a few mentors in my life. One is a man. Having someone of a different gender can provide you with alternative insights. I have had my male mentor for many years. During that time, he has succeeded in getting me to drop my “girl” act and get on with the job at hand: getting a seat at the table and owning my contribution.
The two women I have as mentors offer valuable insights into the challenges we face in the workplace. They have already walked this path and can help me avoid the pitfalls and wrong turns.
It’s not about just selecting someone who’s good at their job. Your personalities need to be compatible as well or there’s a good chance clashes will come about.
Of course, you need someone strong enough to speak up, regardless of feelings and emotions. I have a powerful personality, so I need to have people who will tell me if I am being unreasonable in some circumstances and, in others, when I need to push harder.
You can’t work with someone who doesn’t have enough time to spend with you. If you can’t get together, virtually or in real life, you can’t grow. Fighting to get time in their diary will put an unnecessary strain on the relationship. And even when they find time to talk to you, they probably will try to rush meetings and not listen as intently as they should to your concerns.
It’s no secret that young men have more mentors than young women. Many men in corporate positions are concerned about taking on a young woman as a mentee for fear of what people will say about their relationship. You can circumvent this by having meetings with them in public places, keeping the relationship professional and open. Although we should not give much weight to what others think of us, it is always a concern and can cause issues down the line.
As I mentioned before, I have two women and one man as my mentors. This balance is ideal for my personality and what I want to achieve in the industry.
You can gain as much from mentoring someone else as you can from being mentored. I work with three women of varying ages. They benefit from my experience in work, various industries and, of course, from the advice I can pass on from my own mentors.
Having opportunities to share information, advice and lessons I have learned is hugely fulfilling, and I would encourage everyone to do the same. Don’t think for one moment that you have nothing to offer. There is always someone else looking up to you.
You may not succeed at your first (or second or third) try at setting up a mentoring relationship. If you find you’re not a good fit, part amicably and then try again. But don’t give up! Once you find the right person, whether it’s as a mentor or mentee, you’re in the for best journey of your life.
You can gain as much from mentoring someone else as you can from being mentored. I work with three women of varying ages. They benefit from my experience in work, various industries and, of course, from the advice I can pass on from my own mentors.
Having opportunities to share information, advice and lessons I have learned is hugely fulfilling, and I would encourage everyone to do the same. Don’t think for one moment that you have nothing to offer. There is always someone else looking up to you.
You may not succeed at your first (or second or third) try at setting up a mentoring relationship. If you find you’re not a good fit, part amicably and then try again. But don’t give up! Once you find the right person, whether it’s as a mentor or mentee, you’re in the for best journey of your life.
By Jasmina Muller
Everbridge’s Jasmina Muller
Each year since 2002, the month of January has been recognized by the president and administration as National Mentoring Month.
In this year’s proclamation, President Joe Biden stated, “By standing on the shoulders of mentors, young people have led America forward at each inflection point in our history. I will never forget the many mentors who encouraged and empowered me as a student, as a local elected official in my twenties, and as a young United States Senator finding my way.”
“During National Mentoring Month, we honor all those parents and family members, teachers and coaches, employers and co-workers, community and faith leaders, and so many others who devote time, care, and energy to helping our young people thrive.”
An Invaluable Tool
At a time when The Great Resignation is in full force throughout the country, mentoring can be highly effective for retaining existing employees and attracting new ones. It is also invaluable in fostering a progressive work environment for women and people of color. For these reasons and more, mentoring is an especially important tool in maximizing employees’ potential.
So what’s the key to establishing a mentoring relationship that benefits both the mentor and the mentee? When youngsters finishing their studies are told that they need to find a mentor, what should they do? Rush out and find some random top-level person in the industry where they want to build a career? No, not at all. Like any other productive working relationship, mentoring requires a blend of compatibility, cooperation and shared goals, for starters.
Scroll through the gallery above to learn about six things that should be considered when selecting a mentor.
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Jasmina Muller is vice president of global channel partnerships for enterprise software company Everbridge. She is a founding member of Chief, a private network focused on helping women achieve positions of power and stay there; a member of the board and the educational advisory for partner performance company AchieveUnite; a board member and chair of the Sponsorship Committee for the Alliance of Channel Women; and COO and board member for Camp Goalz, which provides teamwork, leadership and communication skills. In addition, she is a member of Channel Futures’ inaugural DE&I 101.
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