I’ve been doing it formally for 25 years and I am still
learning. Every time I add a new tool or technique to my mentoring toolbox, I
look around for someone to try it out on. Unfortunately for family and friends,
that can sometimes be them (yes, we can use some of these skills in our
personal lives – they actually come in handy!)
I’ve collected several mentees over the years. I might not
hear from them very often, but when I do, it’s always a pleasure to connect
again. So, lately I’ve been thinking about how to find myself some more mentees
so I can continue my journey as a mentor. In particular, I don’t want to forget
how to effectively set up a new mentoring relationship for success and get
started in a positive way.
At the Art of Mentoring Academy, we give you opportunities
to come together through masterclasses and webinars. In these, you can connect
with others to share ideas, thoughts, and get some practice in a very safe
environment. But that’s a bit like learning to drive a car with an instructor.
Eventually, you have to get out there on your own.
It’s surprising how few people are actually asked, on an
informal basis, to provide mentorship. I’ve found that most people are
genuinely pleased when someone reaches out to them for mentoring assistance,
but it just doesn’t seem to happen all that often. So, if you are a keen
mentor, you may need to look around and find yourself some mentees.
When we have survey organisations, we have found that two-thirds
have
formal mentoring programs and this is even
more likely in medium-large ones. Work is a great place to start, if you are
not already opting in as a mentor to workplace programs. Many companies have
multiple programs, so you may be able to select the kind of mentee you’d like
to support – an emerging leader, a graduate, someone with a culturally diverse
background, and so on.
Professional, trade and industry associations are another
terrific source. Many of these offer mentoring as a member benefit. Volunteer
as a mentor and you will find this may help you accumulate Continuing
Professional Development points required for membership. Association mentors
gain particular enjoyment from giving back to their profession and say it helps
them stay in touch with new trends.
Anywhere you connect with people in a group can be an
opportunity to provide mentorship. Clubs, committees, community groups of all
sorts provide useful opportunities to find a mentee (or a mentor, for that matter). Make it
known to people that you are open to supporting and developing others, and you
may quickly find a line at your door.
Try adding mentoring to your LinkedIn profile. Many people
post “open to work” – why not “open to mentoring”? As an Academy member you can download your
membership badge and place this on your LinkedIn profile. A simple post saying
that you are available to mentor a particular type or profile of mentee would
more than likely result in a few requests.
Last year I broke my shoulder. My physiotherapist taught me
some exercises to do that gradually returned my mobility. What use would knowing how to do the
exercises have been, if I hadn’t done them every single day, several times? We
can teach you the skills of mentoring. We can open your minds to the mindset
and approach that successful mentors adopt. But we can’t make you a great
mentor. Only you can. Keep building mentoring skills, then go practise!
Written by Melissa Richardson © Art
of Mentoring 2023
