And Carrie On

January is national mentorship month, and it got me thinking about this topic and how mentors and the mentorship process can help us grow as leaders. .

I remember as a new grad being told I needed a mentor, and I didn’t know how to find one or what that process should look like. Part of my problem was that I was making the process more formal than it needed to be.

Mentors can involved prescribed conversation, but it don’t have to be. I was putting too much pressure on the relationship. I think what matters is finding people who can help you in your journey. The two of you can select the format and style that works best.

In thinking about mentors, it is important to have a variety of mentors who can help with different aspects of your professional life.

Kinds of Mentors to Consider

A mentor at your organization – Whether you’re at a university or in a corporate setting, it is critical to have a mentor at your organization. This is important for a few reasons. First, this person will be key in helping you navigate and learn office politics, understand the processes to accomplish things (sometimes the actual process and the official process are different), and address miscues. Second, this person will help you gain perspective. Because this person is a mentor through their organization connection, they can be a great resource to offer a different perspective in other ways. They could be under a different leader, in a different level of leadership, or in your same area. It doesn’t matter what role they have at the organization, which means they can help you address other blind spots you may have.

A mentor for your role – If you’re in a new role, a mentor in your exact work is helpful. This is the person who’s doing the work just like you. However, they may have done it longer, have a larger team, etc. They are a resource for you in the day-to-day work that needs to happen and what things you should be focusing on. Depending on the situation, this person is most likely going to be at another organization, which is why it’s important to have the organizational mentor. However, it’s possible this person was at your organization and is still willing to offer guidance. Perhaps they retired and are willing to still provide support? This relationship should be one of the first you build because it will be paramount to your current success.

An aspirational mentor – Another key mentor to consider is an aspirational mentor. This might be someone in a leadership role, a seasoned professional, or someone who’s further in their career who you would like to emulate. This person is going to be less focused on the tactical day-to-day but is going to offer guidance on industry trends, leadership challenges, and provide a listening ear to overall issues. This person should not work at your organization because this person is likely to hear your perspective on challenges you’re facing and struggles. It’s just a cleaner situation if there is no conflict of interest because they may not be fully objective in the situation.

Mentor someone else – A great way to enhance your own understanding is by mentoring someone else. As an early professional, I balked at the idea of mentoring someone else. In my mind, I was too young, too inexperienced, etc. What I didn’t realize was that my strengths might align with someone else’s struggles. So even though I was young, I could offer valuable insight. I believe it’s important to get in the habit of helping others, and mentorship is a great way to cultivate those skills. Additionally, I found that when I mentored others and talked through situations and challenges, I learned something about myself and often uncovered knowledge that could immediately help me. I learned just as much from the relationship, so it’s a valuable practice to serve but also because of what I learned.

Your Approach to Mentors

I try to have one to two mentors in each category at any given time. It certainly ebbs and flows, but I think this approach helps me to be more well-rounded in my mentor and mentorship journey.

Who do you engage as mentors? Feel free to add a comment and let me know what I should be considering!