7 TOP TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF MENTORING.

It has been an absolute pleasure bringing you this mentorship series! 

I’m hoping that by now my blog posts would have greatly inspired you to start a mentorship journey. If this is the case for you, you may have realised that as with other aspects of human interactions, you need to understand the ‘how’ of working with a mentor.  

When I became more intentional about seeking mentorship, one of the challenges I encountered was navigating the dynamics of maximizing my mentorship experience.  Over the years, I have continued to see how many young people fall short of understanding the nitty-gritty of working with a mentor. 

Depending on what kind of mentoring relationship you have chosen – formal or informal-, how you approach such a relationship will determine what you get out of it. 

In this blog post, I will share 7 tips on how to work effectively with a mentor. 

Tip 1: Be proactive.

For you to get the best out of your time with a mentor, you need to be proactive in your interactions with them. This should start from your first meeting. Do your research, and have a list of intelligent and thought-provoking questions to ask before every meeting. In essence, make it easy for your mentor to work with you. Mentors appreciate mentees who take responsibility and initiative, so learn to be proactive.

Tip 2: What you get out of mentorship is what you put in.

This tip is synonymous with the adage that states ‘what you sow, you shall reap.’ Your mentor can only advise, guide and open you up to what is possible. The onus is on you as a mentee to act on any agreed plans. It is unrealistic to expect to get results when you have not put in the work. Using myself as an example, at the beginning of this year 2022, I had a conversation with my mentor about what I wanted to achieve personally, and writing this blog post series was one of them. The reason you are reading this blog post is that I have put in the work to get it published for you, through the support of my mentor. Essentially, be ready to do the work.

Tip 3: Accountability is key

Accountability is naturally tough for us as humans. It requires training and re-training on our part to achieve. A personal experience that changed my perspective on accountability in mentoring was when one of my dear friends shared with me how they scheduled regular check-in sessions with their mentor to ensure they were on track towards realizing some specific “set goals”. It was then I started to see how this strategy was key to producing results for them. At the time, I knew I had uncovered a major success strategy for maximizing mentoring for growth and guidance. I was literally sleeping on the mentoring bicycle instead of cycling it to my desired destination. Have conversations with your mentor about how frequently you want to meet with them, decide a time and place and stick to it, try to arrive early and come prepared.

Tip 4: Mutual respect is golden

Mutual respect is crucial to the well-being of a mentoring relationship. It should go both ways- respect your mentor while they also respect you in return. This is regardless of the chronological age of both parties as your mentor might be younger  (what should matter is the wealth of experience that a mentee wants to learn from). Address them the way they want to be addressed. Learn to show up on time; they should not have to wait on a call or a meeting for you without prior notice on your end. Also, if you have to reschedule, make sure you inform them well ahead of time and not last minute.

Tip 5: Maintain boundaries

Boundaries are essential in fostering respect in a relationship. Be clear on where the line needs to be drawn. For example: What means of communication would they prefer you to use in reaching out to them? When can you call them (or not)? What can you share with them (or not)? I believe what you can share is dependent on the kind of relationship and level of trust that you have built with your mentor. However, you should still ensure you are as authentic and vulnerable during sessions so that the interaction is still as impactful.

Tip 6: Be open to receiving feedback

I have learned and am still learning to receive and work on feedback from my mentor. I have realized that constructive feedback has been instrumental in my development of self-awareness and owning my journey overall. One of such experiences for me was the opportunity to coordinate the Personal and Professional Development Hub of the Excellence in Medicine Women Physicians Network. In this capacity, I have seen how my mentor deliberately challenges me with tasks and responsibilities so that my hidden leadership potential can be harnessed, and I can nurture my many other skills in leadership, public speaking, and human relationships to mention a few. My decision to commit to the relationship, keep an open mind and receive constructive feedback while on assigned tasks, and even after execution, has been of tremendous impact in achieving exponential growth both personally and professionally. Resist the temptation to shy away from receiving feedback as a mentee. 

Tip 7: Understand it is a two-way relationship

As much as you want to get the best of your mentor at all times, try to understand what is important to them as well. Do you have a skill that they can also leverage to produce results for an aspect of their life? Aim to add value to your mentor’s life as well. Some of the ways to do this include:  sending them articles relating to their field of interest, checking up on them, sending thank-you cards, and celebrating important milestones such as birthdays and holidays. Show your mentor that he/she is valuable to you.

It’s a wrap, guys!  I am very excited that I did this! I hope you have learnt a thing or two. Feel free to leave your comments for me. As always, I am open to learning and gleaning from you! 

Thank you once again for tagging along in this series. You are the real MVP! ☺