How to acquire a mentor - Blair McPherson

I have had both a formal and informal mentor and I have also been a mentor. In selecting a mentor don’t go for status but wisdom and respect of their judgment. The fact that they are a Director/CEO does not mean they will be a good mentor. 
Sometimes a mentoring relationship grows out of a work relationship. Usually you have to make the approach to an individual to ask if they will be your mentor.They need to be willing to take an interest in your professional/career development this involves an investment time and energy and a willingness to be accessible.

They are no rules about the frequency of contact ,whether it’s by phone or face to face or for how long they will be your mentor but if it’s a formal arrangement then these details need to be established at the outset. Formal means paid or organised through your organisation. Informal is something you sort out yourself.

Someone in your organisation or some one outside your organisation? They are not your manager and mentoring is not supervision. A mentor may or may not be familiar with your line of work , know your organisation and some of the people who work for it. They give career advice and share the wisdom they have acquired so usually they are chosen for their experience of life at the top of an organisation, networking, recruiting to senior posts, working with board members, political sensitivity and understanding of office politics.

We tend to use mentors in bursts such as when applying for a new job. A good mentor asks tough question rather than providing easy solutions.

If you have benefited from mentoring then you should consider doing the same for someone else. However not everyone is cut out to be a mentor, don’t pressurise or flatter your chosen one into a role that they are not comfortable with. 
 

Not everyone benefits from a mentor , well they do if they are lucky enough to have the right one , but they don’t always work out despite the effort put in by both parties so if it’s not working for you then end it. 

blairmcpherson.co.uk