One of the most beneficial professional relationships someone can have is that of being a mentor or being mentored. Whether you are a C-level employee, starting to get your business off the ground, or considering going back into the workforce after a break, there is so much to learn from others with more experience.  It’s as equally important to help those that are coming up behind you. Research on mentoring shows that those with a mentor have improved career outcomes, are more engaged employees, have less turnover, and feel more included in the workplace.  But it’s not just the mentee that benefits – the mentor receives several benefits as well: greater job satisfaction, more commitment to the organization, greater career success, and more fulfillment in their careers. 

If you are considering being a mentor or are considering asking for a mentor, here are some things to consider:

For those looking to mentor:

·      Do you have the time for this? Being a mentor can be time consuming, and often you do not know how much time it will take at the beginning. If you do decide that you have time in your schedule to become a mentor, it is important to be upfront about how available you are to whoever you mentor. Setting time limitations at the very beginning is critical to make sure boundaries aren’t pushed and no one is overextended.

·      What can you offer and who do you want to offer it to? It is important to know WHAT you can mentor on before you even start to look at who you would like to mentor. What are your strengths and weaknesses, what advice would you like to pass along, and can you identify who you would best pass these things along to? 

·      It is important to remember that cross-cultural mentoring is possible and can be incredibly beneficial to both parties but educating oneself on how to do cross-cultural mentoring is critical. Some helpful articles on mentoring those from backgrounds different from your own can be found here, here, and here. 

For those looking to be mentored:

·      Why do you want a mentor? Having a mentor means putting in work and applying many lessons that are being taught to you. If you are having a hard time in your current role because of being uncomfortable or feeling unprepared, your boss or someone in HR might be able to help you settle that before looking for a mentor. If you are unsure of what you want to be doing in your career a mentor might be the right answer to help you find a path to follow but there are also career coaches, which we offer, available to make sure that you are even in a career that is the right fit. 

·      What type of leaders and people do you look up to? A mentor doesn’t have to be the most successful person that you know but rather someone that you admire and want to learn from. Also, it is important to be able to identify who you are comfortable learning from. Some people prefer male leaders while others prefer females. Some people prefer those that they have previous connections with (similar school, have worked for same company, similar career advancements up to a point) and some want more diversity in who they learn from. All of these are personal preferences and important to identify before asking someone to be a mentor.

·      You can have more than one mentor. Asking one person to teach you everything and lead you into your desired position is a lot to ask! Instead, consider having multiple mentors that address various needs and interests. 

At the end of your day or career it is important to be able to look back and think of those that helped you move along your path just as it’s important to be able to identify those you helped behind you.