Finding a mentor

Many of us understand the importance of having mentors. They often have been there and have done that. They can offer valuable guidance and advice toward our career advancement, personal development, making new connections and expanding networks.  

I was often asked - “how do you find a mentor?“. There are so many ways. I want to share a few personal experiences. 

Everyone can be a mentor. Each person we meet is our teacher and student. I have learned a lot from my mentors about the company I work for, the people I interact with, the strategies I can apply to expand influence and visibility, the communities I can be involved in and much more. I also always keep in mind whether I can provide anything meaningful to my mentors. Often it’s comfortable to find a mentor who has a similar mindset as yours. You may also want to have mentors who may have different styles than you. A diverse group of mentors will surely expand your horizon and perspectives.  

You can find a mentor everywhere and anytime. Once you have the mindset of “everyone can be my mentor”, finding a mentor isn’t that hard anymore. I have found my mentors from different occasions. I have mentors who were my managers. I have found mentors through the company mentoring database. I have found mentors from networking events through chatting. I have been assigned mentors through company leadership training programs. I have mentors from business stakeholders. One of my most amazing experiences was that a senior leader of a job opening that I decided not to accept became my long time valuable mentor.  

Maintaining mentoring relationships is harder than finding one.  Finding a mentor is a one time task. Maintaining a healthy relationship requires persistence. Mentoring relationships are two way relationships. Mentees are mainly responsible for respecting everyone’s time and preparing the agenda/topics for the meeting. Be strategic about what you want to work on and what kind of support you need. Be open and honest about your needs. Sharing with your mentor on your vision and your mentor might be able to help you speed up the realization of that vision. Always find opportunities where you can add value to your mentors. 

Throughout the 20+ years of my professional career, I have established and maintained many great mentoring relationships. They have helped my success tremendously. I encourage everyone to find some great people to be your mentors and learn from them.