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1) Be considerate of
the person’s time.
Everyone is busy. We are always juggling many balls at once. To
a productive and successful person, every hour is precious. Show up on time, and be prepared. Be utterly grateful that your mentor has agreed to spend time with you no matter how short.
2) Ask specific questions.
Don’t go to your mentor and say, “I need help.” He or
she is not psychic. You must articulate exactly what areas in your life
or business require help. Before you meet with your mentor, write down
your questions.
Remember to ask open-ended questions like “How would you handle this situation if you were me?” instead of “did I handle this situation right?” You may also want to refrain from asking why questions as they appear to be interrogative or intimidating. Asking exploratory questions not only cause the speaker to open up and tell you more, it makes him or her feel smarter.
3) Listen, listen,
listen.
It’s amazing how someone asks for advice but then ends up doing
all the talking. If we knew what to do in the first place, we wouldn’t
have had to ask. When I ask a question, I zip it up and listen to the
answer.
We can only learn when we are listening and observing, not when we are talking. People usually love to talk about their accomplishments. Why not let them tell you how they did it? The very best way to learn from other people’s experiences is to fire up the question, listen, and take copious notes. We are never too smart not to take notes.
4) Follow through.
If you want to frustrate your mentor, take his or her advice and do nothing
with it. Have you gotten advice that you never acted upon? Or better yet,
have you ever taken the time to give someone advice only to find out they
did nothing with your advice?
Let me tell you a little secret. The very best feeling in the world is when others come back and show you proof that your advice made their lives better.
Your mentor’s gift to you is his or her advice. When you apply the gift, you actually give him/her an even bigger gift back. No matter what line of work you are in, if you make a solid commitment to follow through, your future is virtually unlimited. Wealth is in the following through.
5) Be grateful—send
a little gift or note.
A person can say ‘thank you’ in more than a million ways.
An attitude of gratitude is imperative. Occasionally, surprise your mentor
with a small gift—a token of appreciation or a nice heartwarming
note.
Remember this: Your mentor/mentee relationship is like any other relationship. You must learn how to earn and keep the good will of the other person.
I hope you seriously consider exploring a relationship with people who might be willing to mentor you. If your company provides a mentoring program, take advantage of it. If not, take the initiative to find your own mentors. My mentors have cut my learning curve significantly, and I know yours will do the same for you, too.
© Copyright Rene Godefroy 2004
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