Mentorship. How important is it?
Does having a mentor really make a difference?
And if you?ve identified that you want and more importantly NEED a mentor how do you go about finding one?
These are just a few of the most common questions that have been asked by some of our High Speed Elite members.
Of course, we immediately realized that since the topic was a more common concern than we initially thought we had better get down and dirty with it!
One-on-one mentorship is vital if anyone wants to succeed in creating his own business, establishing a steady income and just generally succeeding.
It?s great to find that one person to connect to that has walked just a few miles ahead and can really help steer you on the right path and make sure you avoid the pitfalls as well.
However not anyone can just be a mentor and part of the puzzle of success is making sure that you find the right mentor for you and what you plan to do.
So how does one find the right mentor?
Click here to listen to How Veterans Can Find And Leverage Mentors?on Stitcher
Click here to listen to?How Veterans Can Find And Leverage Mentors?on iTunes
Mentoring In The Military
?What many veterans do not realize is that during their time in the military or even in the reserves, they may already have been surrounded by many amazing mentors.
The camaraderie in the military is great. You meet people that are really there for you to the point that they would literally take a bullet for you or give you the shirt off their back. Some of these people especially those that have always set amazing examples may be the ideal mentor.
There are even cases of forced mentorship. A commanding officer or a staff sergeant may already be leading you and showing you the right way even if you didn?t necessarily like or appreciate it.
Mentors don?t really have to outrank you but its their experience and their support towards you that can make them great mentors.
Mentoring Outside The Military
Mentors in the military are one thing but the truth is many people get out of the military and start careers and businesses. For them the concern is finding a great mentors like Google’s Kamau Bobb outside the military.
- Look Around You
To us one of the first things that you need to do is have an idea of what you want and what you are looking for in a mentor. At this stage it is so important to realize that not everyone will have the same strengths and weaknesses and not everyone will make for good mentors as well despite success in their career or business.
If you do find someone that you know that you recognize immediately has a great and special skill, especially one that you would love to learn then do not hesitate to approach him or her.
For example you may have a brother-in-law that you?ve noticed is killing it in sales and you don?t necessarily know how to sell. Swallow your pride and ask him if he?d mind teaching you a few tips and tricks.
- Start Reading
Another thing that you could do is get reading. Start learning about business so that you know what you really want to ask.
Reading will also open your mind to various aspects of the business so that if you ever encounter terms or phrases in the real world you don?t necessarily feel foolish and feel like you don?t know much of anything.
- If you can, try to find a way to work alongside your mentor
?This is almost what we would consider a mentorship hack. Of course there are obvious benefits to meeting with someone and listening to what he has to say, as well as reading to educate yourself and get as close to a mentor as you can (we?re talking about the big and established names).
However the most effective way for you to learn is to really see how your mentor works day to day. If possible try and see if there are opportunities to work alongside your mentor so you really get the full experience.
Spending Time With Your Mentor
?Another common question that we have to address is spending time with one?s mentor. What is the appropriate time to spend with a mentor?
Of course it goes without saying that there are mentorships that go on for year. However in today?s world the appropriate time for mentorships don?t necessarily have to take that long.
Many find spending a small amount of time with their mentors (and mentees) effective enough. Anything between three months to a year is acceptable.
Going past a year would not really be feasible for both mentor and mentee in most cases.
The advantage of setting an end date to a mentorship is that you can realistically plan out what to do once the mentorship ends. You come to grips with ?independence? and life without your mentor and you don?t become a dependent for life.
Another advantage is that if the mentorship isn?t exactly working out like you want then you immediately have an exit strategy in place.
Seeking Out Mentorships
Never hesitate to seek out mentorship especially with people that you have a connection with. A great example of a connection is the veteran connection.
If you encounter someone whose career you really admire and is incidentally also a veteran then why not try and see if you can have a conversation with this guy and see where that leads.
Another important point to take note of is the people that you are going to want to mentor with will usually be among the busiest people. These guys will usually not have any time for chit chat.
What you need to do for them to even consider you is show them how you can add some value to them or their work or their life.
Be upfront about what you can bring to the table so that it is more likely that they will actually want to consider your request of working alongside them or even just observing them.
We want to end this by saying this: there are limitless opportunities for you to find a great mentor. So take these little tips that we?ve given you and get out there.
If you keep at it we are extremely confident that you will land a mentor that will add value to your business or career.
Until next time!
Click here to listen to How Veterans Can Find And Leverage Mentors?on Stitcher
Click here to listen to?How Veterans Can Find And Leverage Mentors?on iTunes
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