Stacey has a good job in a growing organization. She’s smart, energetic, and creative—and she’s underperforming. Her boss is unhappy with her work.

She lacks focus. Stacey doesn’t seem to be able to set priorities, execute on those priorities, and get her contributions recognized. She’s floundering.  As I talked to her about this, she moaned, “If I only had a mentor!”

Mentoring Has Changed Forever

Stacey was making a common mistake. She was looking for someone to take her under their wing for the next several years and shepherd her through her career. It’s not likely to happen!

Ronna Lichtenberg, in her book It’s Not Business, It’s Personal: The 9 Relationship Principles That Power Your Career says, “It’s an urban  fairy tale—that somewhere out there is that special someone, a mentor, who will take over your career, then not only guide you through it, but hack through the jungle ahead of you, machete in hand, to make space for you to grow, and then in a final burst of energy, whip out a magic wand and grant you not just the job you’ve always wanted, but a bulletproof vest to protect you from the flak that’s gonna be flying at you once you get it.  Oh, and the mentor expects nothing in return, except for the deep, quiet satisfaction of knowing that you got what you truly deserved.”

Mentoring has changed forever. In today’s world, a mentor is anyone who has information or experience that would be helpful to you. The mentoring relationship is often an organic one, and may last anywhere from a few minutes to a lifetime.  You might be both a mentor and a mentee at the same time—even with the same person.

The Sixty Minute Mentor

If  mentoring would be helpful in your business or your life, identify what you need help with.  Then identify someone who knows what you need to know.

Ask that person if they’d be willing to spend some time with you answering your questions and providing some guidance.  Offer to take them to lunch, buy them a cup of coffee, or meet with them at their location.

Plan some questions in advance.  Use their time wisely. That sixty minutes might prove to be exactly what you need to move forward, or it might turn into a longer term relationship. Your sixty minute mentor might also suggest some other folks you might talk with.

Mentoring Moments

Some people won’t have time for an in person meeting.  Ask if you can have fifteen minutes of their time over the phone. You’ll rarely be refused.  It’s amazing what you can learn in 15 minutes of focused time.

Make Sure You Give

How can you be of service to your sixty minute mentor? Be creative.  Do you know something that would be of help to them?  Is there a connection you could make for them with one of your contacts? Is there an article you could send them?

Share Your Tips

What tips do you have for being a mentor or a mentee? Please share them below.  We can all learn from each other!

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