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MENTORING HINTS AND TIPS |
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> Hints and tips about mentoring |
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Maybe you’re looking for someone to confide in who will provide you with
moral support, encouragement and guidance. Maybe you’re looking for
opportunities for growth and enhanced career visibility.
Perhaps you would value constructive criticism and help in sizing up
situations. Maybe you need the chance to keep abreast of other ways of
thinking and to discover new perspectives. Or maybe you need the chance to
expand your networks of professional contacts.
You need someone you can trust implicitly. However, choosing a mentor can be
a very unpredictable business and the desire to make an informed, good
decision in selecting your mentor can weigh heavily on you.
Research
As you would do for any major decision, do a little research and save
yourself from time consuming mistakes. Narrow your search to mentors who
have experience in the area in which you are interested. Look at the mentors
experience and background. Discover how much commitment the mentor is able
to give. Interview mentors by phone or in person to see if you would feel
comfortable working with them.
Finding a mentor
You may initiate a relationship with someone whom you admire and trust and
with whom you have a certain affinity. It could be a friend, teacher,
employer, co-worker, minister or relative.
The mentor may initiate the relationship if they believe you have potential
and that they feel they have something to offer you.
A third person may intervene in the pairing relationship to support you in
your search for a mentor. However, steadfast care is needed to preserve the
privacy required for a successful mentoring relationship.
Alternatively, a good starting point is to look at the listings at this
site.
Making a good match
Initiate the first contact with the chosen mentor or, if more than one, with
all the potential mentors and then make your choice. Arrange a meeting to
see if you feel they are right for you. Use this time to find out about the
background and experience of the mentor. Look for a personality that you
would feel comfortable working with and who would feel comfortable working
with you.
The question you should ask at the initial meeting
Do we have a match for a meaningful mentoring relationship?
Self knowledge is necessary. Make sure you fully explain your situation.
Bring a personal assessment which you will be able to use to make yourself
familiar to your learning partner
Ensure that you are aware of your own developmental needs and are clear
about your personal and professional developmental objectives with realistic
and specific expectations.
Identify the extent of both the commitment and the availability of the
mentor. A mentoring relationship needs reasonably frequent and consistent
contact. As a dialogue, it is interactive. Both partners contribute, change
and grow.
Specify the factors that attract you to a potential partner. These factors
are not only related to your learning objectives, but also to your values,
your interests and your needs. They generally match your personality traits.
Above all remember that there is no problem with consulting more than one
potential mentor. The non-selected mentors understand that the success of
the mentoring relationship depends on the free choice and a certain
‘chemistry’ between two persons. |
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