One of the fastest ways to accelerate your career growth, navigate politically, and be more effective at work is to have a mentor. So in today’s Fearless in 5 we’ll talk about why you need one, how to find one and why you should be mentoring others.
Research shows that women are far less likely to have mentors than men. But they are critical to help you identify limiting beliefs, open doors for you and help you problem solve from a different perspective. So don’t worry if your company doesn’t have a formal mentorship program, go out and find one.
Look for leaders that you trust and admire. As you’re trying to figure out how do you find that mentor, don’t just look for women—look for men as well. In fact, they can be incredible mentors, so all you have to do is find that person that you respect and admire and simply invite them out for a cup of coffee, virtual or in real life.
Ask them about their journey. It may feel a little awkward and uncomfortable at first but the reality is everyone loves talking about themselves. So as long as you ask that potential mentor about their lessons learned along the way, they will give you relevant advice that will be helpful for you in your own career journey.
Reverse mentor: You may not even recognize the value that you would bring to more senior leaders as it relates to the things you are so knowledgeable about that they need to know about. For example, if you work in marketing, or advertising or tech, something like that, the knowledge that you can help bring to the table as it relates to Web3, gaming, TikTok and other social media trends, or even what it feels like to be an underrepresented minority, could be incredibly helpful for them in their roles.
Be a mentor yourself; find a protégé. The reality is if you’ve been working for two years or more you have gained experiences that will be helpful to someone else. Research shows that when you mentor someone else for a challenge that’s difficult for you, it helps you think in strategic new ways. Once you have built that relationship, try and check in with that person on at least a monthly basis.
To learn more about what you can do to be fearless at work and in life, check out Wet Cement at https://www.wet-cement.com/.
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