Since January is National Mentoring Month, now is the perfect time to explore the positive impact that mentoring can have on your career. Whether you are the mentor or the mentee, the mentoring relationship can push your career to new heights.
Design the Alliance. Both parties must have an agreement on the contact and response times, meetings, confidentiality, focus, feedback, and goals and accountability.
Get to Know Each Other. It is important to have a strong relationship and trust before focusing on the problem.
Set the Agenda. Be clear on the purpose and goals of the program.
Reflect and Evaluate. Know if there is a progress or development gained from the mentoring every few meetings.
Closeout. Before parting ways, have a closure with each other. Reflect and appreciate what both parties have learned and gained from the experience.
Having the right mentor or ‘Guru’ in our life can change one's entire trajectory. It’s common to see people labelled as good mentors, but rare for anyone to make themselves into good mentees.
Serving as a mentor brings many challenges and rewards, with the best mentors working to shape their mentees into other leaders, rather than just good followers. If done well, the long-term impact of mentoring can offer life- and career-changing benefits to both parties. The terms mentoring and coaching often get used interchangeably, which misleads the audience.
The word "mentor" was first used in Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey" when Odysseus entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor who served as a teacher and overseer to Odysseus' son.
This is where mentor was derived meaning "a trusted councelor or guide."