As you build your career and move into new positions with greater scope and responsibility, what is the one thing you can do to achieve success? Regardless of the position - from supervisor to CEO - there is one thing that works. The first step to achieving success in your position and career is to have a mentor.

Mentors are those people who have already achieved success in the role you are entering. They are people you respect for their accomplishments and have lived through what you are starting. The best mentors are those individuals who are about ten to fifteen years ahead of you in your career and provide the example of the success you want to achieve. A mentor has done it and can provide the support, guidance, and perspective you need to take the right actions and make the right decisions.

What are you looking for in a mentoring relationship? Quite simply, the right mentor gives you the benefit of their experience. Mentors provide advice for specific situations you may be working through and counsel based on what worked - or didn't work - for them. They also model for you the way you want to handle yourself as well as teaching at some points and motivating you in others. In some mentoring relationships, your mentor may even sponsor you in your career making connections for you that will help you move forward or achieve results.

Mentors are not coaches. Mentors provide advice and give you the benefit of their experience. Coaches ask questions to challenge and support you to take action but rarely provide direct opinions about what you should do. Mentors tell you like it is.

The most common challenge people face as they are promoted to new roles is the lack of clarity of what is expected of them for success. Oddly, the loftier the position, the less clear the criteria for performance is likely to be. Even entering the C-suite, leaders and executives are seldom given clarity of expectations for their work. The assumption often is that "they should know". The result being that 40% of leaders fail in their new position - based on meeting what was wanted from them  - within the first 18 months (Center for Creative Leadership studies).

The other issue facing people when they first move into a position is that they do not feel comfortable asking for direction. Many people feel it makes them appear weak. So, the result is a lot of floundering around trying to figure it out. More than 50% of leaders report they learned what was needed from them by trial and error (DDI study) to the cost of the organization and many people around them. There must be a better way.

This is where the mentor steps in. Mentors can provide the guidance you need. The relationship is invaluable and, from my own personal experience, has changed my professional life so much for the better.  Most mentoring relationships are about an hour or so each month and become the most worthwhile time in your calendar. Crazier yet - despite the incredible value, you rarely have to pay for mentoring. It is an investment we make in each other.

I am asked many times what people should do to build their career. My first recommendation is always to look out to where you want to be, find someone who has lived it well that you respect, and ask them to mentor you. It will change everything for you. It is not reasonable or expected that you know everything - there will always be gaps and questions. Mentors help you to bridge the gaps and achieve success.

Just my thinking …

• Add New
• Search

Comments (0)

Write comment

Your Contact Details:

Name:

Email: do not notifynotify

Comment:

Title:

UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge

Message:

Security

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Joomla components by Compojoom