Are you stuck in an ok plateau? That is, you’ve started something new, learned a lot of new things, made a ton of progress on your own but now your development has stalled. Sound familiar? You probably need another pair of eyes; a new outlook. That’s right, you need a mentor to help guide your progress. The right mentor can help you see past your blindspots, provide you with more knowledge and keep you motivated toward your ultimate vision. But you can’t just ask anyone to be your mentor. Would you ask just anybody to guide you to the other side of a mountain in some foreign land? This post will discuss the top four things to consider to find the perfect mentor.
To get more reasons why everyones needs a mentor, read 3 Reasons Why Everyone Needs a Mentor.
Be aware of the mentor’s knowledge level. Is your prospective mentor a theorist or a practitioner? Has this person achieved a lot in your certain industry or are they better at teaching? Did this person work under successful people? What is the candidate’s lineage?
For example, say you wanted a basketball mentor / coach. What history does this prospective coach possess? Was the coach ever a player and at what level? Were they always a coach? An important thing to keep in mind is that success as a practitioner doesn’t always the best mentor make. For instance, the best professional basketball coaches have never been the best players. The best coaches have always been high level players who got into coaching early and became great teachers.
Be aware of what stage of development you are in. What is it that you really need to work on at this moment? Be aware of your prospective candidate’s particular needs as well. Say, that you are a public speaker and you need to become more technically proficient and a mentor candidate who runs a technology company is looking to start offering online courses and has to become a better public speaker. That would be a perfect match. Of course, not all scenarios will be that easy but you get the idea. Always lead with value when starting a new relationship. Look for the mutually beneficial opportunity.
Make sure you actually like the person. You will have to spend time, in some cases a lot, with your mentor. Check to see if there is any social chemistry. Consider their communication and or management style. Are they very serious and direct? Or are they laid back and paced? Can you thrive in that potential relationship? Whatever they are, make sure you can excel with their leadership.
In addition, you should also consider a candidate’s content and profile. Make sure it aligns or at least compliments what you are about.
Furthermore, make sure that you and your candidate have a shared ethical / value system. The last thing you want to do is get mixed up with someone who will ask you to do things that you are uncomfortable doing. Know who you are getting involved with. Get the value alignment correct and most everything will just fall into place.
Consider location. With modern technology, it is not necessary to be anywhere close to your potential mentor. You probably don’t even need to speak the same language. Or would you rather be mentored by someone who is local? If you decide to be mentored remotely, consider any differences in time zones. Will you be sleeping during their waking hours? Are you willing to adjust? Lastly, make sure you consider language barriers that may arise. While most of the world speaks English, you may find that your best mentor match might actually speak another language. Will it be worth it to learn a new language or pay for a translator?
While hard work, discipline and self motivation can take a person a long way, most everybody would benefit from a mentor who can give that little extra knowledge or insight. To show you the secret doors you didn’t know existed. To help you accomplish your ambitions. To get some tips to help you achieve your goals, read 7 Steps to Help You Achieve Your Goals.
A candidate’s level of knowledge, current needs, social / personality fit and logistic particulars are all factors to be considered when finding the perfect mentor. I guess the number one question you should ask yourself is… has your candidate been or know how to travel where you want to go? Does your mentor know how to get to the other side of that mountain?
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