It is a fact that whatever path you are going, someone else have gone through it. Basically, the idea of having a mentor is to get that someone to show you the way, so you avoid unnecessary mistakes. However, getting the right mentor for your specific needs takes time and research to find the best person.
But who is a mentor?
A mentor is a person with specialized knowledge, capable of educating and motivating you, either in your personal life, your career or both. They are similar to coaches and teachers. They guide less-experienced people through the learning process by establishing trust and modeling positive behaviors.
Here are some reasons why you need to find a mentor.
Having gone through the path before, mentors are valuable sources of knowledge. Whether you’re starting a business or choosing careers, mentors have experienced similar milestones. Choose mentors who will give you the best insight into your current phase of life or career level. Because they have already been through it, the will provide advice on issues like how to save money, reduce stress and be more efficient, for example, and be able to connect their experiences with your own.
Mentors offer constructive criticism
Normally, in order to protect your feelings, friends and family members may hesitate to provide the type of feedback you need to make a change in your personal or professional life. Mentors offer constructive criticism designed to strengthen areas of your life that need improvement. Without this insight, personal growth may take longer to achieve. So, encourage mentors to tell you how you may improve your strategy to better reach your goals.
Helps in personal and professional growth
Mentors look for ways to encourage personal growth. Once they understand your skills and abilities, they may put you to work on a specific task to see how well you perform. Then, they can give you detailed feedback on what you did well and what you may improve upon. Mentors look for teaching moments that help you grow along the way.
Mentors offer encouragement and help keep you going.
According to Oprah Winfrey, “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” They are there no matter what and offer moral support. Sometimes, when you encounter a difficult situation in your business or career, you want to give up. These are the times your mentor will encourage you to keep going. This is because they themselves have passed through that in the past, and they didn’t give up. Mentors keep you going during hard times.
Creation of firm boundaries
Mentors create healthy boundaries that work in your favor. For example, mentors help set priorities, define unacceptable behaviors and provide guidance regarding balanced work-life scheduling. Mentors help bring awareness to any issues that may be affecting your emotional well-being and provide solutions to overcome any negatives with boundaries.
Mentors are trusted advisers.
In the world of business, it is hard to know who to trust with your confidential information. But since mentors are objective third-parties with no stake in any idea or venture, they are happy to let you know what they think. Also, this can serve as a criterion for choosing a mentor. They must be advisers who can be trusted with confidential information.
You receive unbiased opinions
Because mentors play a neutral role in your life, and also because they desire your growth, they have the ability to give unbiased opinions on subjects you care about. For example, if you have several ideas for a business venture but need help choosing the best option, mentors are great resources for advice. Drawing on their past experiences, mentors provide opinions that they believe fit your circumstance best.
A mentor is a trusted ally
The relationship between a mentor and a mentee must be built upon trust, honesty and transparency. When you need someone you can trust, having a mentor as a third-party is a great resource. Mentors work to earn your trust in a variety of ways that include showing up to appointments on time, listening to your stories and keeping your information confidential.
Mentorship helps in goal-setting
If you need help setting and achieving goals, mentors are the perfect allies to keep you accountable. Why? they have set such goals before. Your mentor can help develop your career by setting new goals for you and providing clarity on how to act.
They can offer networking connections
There are some connections that may not be open to you as a starter. Mentors commonly offer to share their network connections with their mentees. When you acquire the help of a mentor, you increase your chances for new professional contacts, which may lead you to new opportunities. Your mentor might offer to attend business conferences and seminars that you might not ordinarily have access to, with you. That is a good platform for networking for you.
Finally, some think that having a mentor is a sign of weakness. It is not. It shows you are smart enough and are driven enough to succeed. So, go ahead and choose a mentor today.
My name is Chigozie Japhet. I am a content writer, and a brand strategist. I like writing, reading, researching and watching football, especially my team, Man United. i believe in working hard, and also in relaxation as all work without play, makes Chigozie a dull boy.
