Whether for personal growth or career goals, mentors play a valuable role in the lives of people looking to achieve new levels of success. Hiring the right mentor for your specific needs takes time and research to find the best person. In this article, we discuss the mentor role, how mentorships work and 10 reasons why you need a mentor.
A mentor is a person with specialized knowledge whom you may enlist to educate and motivate you, either in your personal life, your career or both. Similar to coaches and teachers, mentors guide less-experienced people through the learning process by establishing trust and modelling positive behaviours. Mentors differ in that they generally do not receive payment for services. Many mentors choose to help educate others because they understand the value of their wisdom and knowledge and wish to pass it on. Others enjoy the challenge of helping people achieve their goals.
A mentorship works much like an agreement. The level of formality depends on your desired outcomes. When you've taken the time to decide who you'd like to have in this role, schedule a discussion with your mentor to work out any agreement details. Knowing how much time this person plans to invest in mentoring you helps guide future meetings.
Informal mentorships may involve calls, texts or emails to your mentor when you need guidance. Formal mentorships may have a defined schedule that details the specific dates and times you plan to meet. What you choose depends on your unique situation.
Mentors are valuable sources of knowledge. Whether you're starting a business, going back to college or changing careers, mentors have experienced similar milestones. Choose mentors who will give you the best insight into your current phase of life or career level. Because they have already been through it, they'll provide advice on issues like how to save money, reduce stress and be more efficient, for example, and be able to connect their experiences with your own.
Friends and family members may hesitate to provide the type of feedback you need to make a change in your personal or professional life. Mentors offer constructive criticism designed to strengthen areas of your life that need improvement. Without this insight, personal growth may take longer to achieve. Encourage mentors to tell you how you may improve your strategy to better reach your goals.
Mentors look for ways to encourage personal growth. Once they understand your skills and abilities, they may put you to work on a specific task to see how well you perform. Based on your performance, they might give you another challenge to test you or give you detailed feedback on what you did well and what you may improve upon. Mentors look for teaching moments that help you grow along the way.
When you need an extra boost of confidence, mentors offer support and words of encouragement to keep you going when life gets tough. Without a mentor, negative thoughts may become more prominent in your daily life, especially when dealing with a difficult subject or issue. Positive encouragement helps motivate you to keep trying your best, despite the challenges.
Successful mentorships are founded on boundaries that define social expectations and make you feel safe. Mentors create healthy boundaries that work in your favour. For example, mentors help set priorities, define unacceptable behaviours and provide guidance regarding balanced work-life scheduling. Mentors help bring awareness to any issues that may be affecting your emotional well-being and provide solutions to overcome any negatives with boundaries.
Because mentors play a neutral role in your life, they have the ability to give unbiased opinions on subjects you care about. For example, if you have several ideas for a business venture but need help choosing the best option, mentors are great resources for advice. Drawing on their past experiences, mentors provide opinions that they believe fit your circumstance best.