5 Mistaken Ideas In Workplace Mentoring Relationships

Socrates and Platon.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Maya Angelo and Oprah Winfery.

Ray Charles and Quincy Jones.

Bob Noyes and Steve Jobs.

If there is a wise tutor, everyone will benefit from it.

A suitable mentor will make a huge difference to your career.

For example, according to Lois Chakri, author of the tutor's guidance: The Mentor's Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, about 96% of executives believe that mentoring is an important development tool.

"The tutorial system has many advantages," he said.

A mentor can help you get into other circles, so that you can get in touch with different ideas and different people who have not had the chance to contact before.

If you want to find your master of Miyagi, and hope to develop a perfect mentoring relationship, you should avoid the following five common mistakes.

1. find a mentor who shares your taste.

Finding a mentor with a similar background may feel comfortable.

But this is not the right way to grow.

Instead, you should find a mentor with different experiences and perspectives, because they can help you find your blind spot.

Michael Melcher, executive trainer of Next Step Partners, a training company, said: "many female mentors are male.

Many of the instructors of colored people are white, because you have to find someone with ability and experience.

And many people will choose older white men.

Don't think that only a person like you can be your mentor.

This idea is too narrow, and such people are usually in short supply.

Sharon Mills, a senior executive of technology company, has served as vice president of Goldman Sachs and has written the book "Getting to 50/50".

At that time, women found that all male vice presidents went to play basketball with top leaders.

So they asked their partners to work out a plan for women to match male mentors.

Many of the women who participated in the program later became executive directors of the company.

"It's amazing," Mills recalls.

The men involved in the scheme are partners who really care about the progress of women.

Women who participate in the scheme also have great potential.

In this way, you won't have to consider the performance issue at all. "

Likewise, mentors should not be all former bosses.

Choose people who have been in different business areas, even from different companies or different industries.

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2. generally ask for help.

A common mistake in finding tutors is that inviting executives to lunch together results in aimless chatting and no help at all.

The more specific the target, the more targeted, the effect will be better.

At first, you may not know what you need to develop or develop, but these problems can be solved in the process.

Once you have identified your weaknesses, choose tutors who can help in specific areas, such as management, communication or presentation.

After making specific suggestions, we should continue to follow up and share our achievements with our mentors.

People are willing to know that their suggestions are helpful.

If you do not follow your advisor's advice, you should also tell the other person frankly.

Mills said: "mentors do not always give good advice.

If you think their proposal is inappropriate, you should tell them why.

The answer can't be: "I never tried."

3. wasting time

If you ask others for advice, you should respect and make full use of each other's precious time.

This means that every time you have lunch or coffee with your mentor, you need to have a clear agenda in your mind, communicate efficiently and follow up.

The "Apprentice" plays an active role in mentoring relations.

Roth Orford, head of ASAP, IT solutions, said: "

This is the biggest problem and also a great investment.

Both sides must take responsibility. "

You should make an agenda for the meeting, and follow up continuously to clarify the relationship between the two sides.

"In a series of dialogues, you should have your own goals and be specific and targeted," Zachary said.

"The real question is how we can grow and grow."

Tutors can't give answers to all questions, but they can guide you to find out the answers yourself.

In other words, instead of having lunch with someone every quarter, you can say that she is your mentor.

4. regard tutor relationship as a one-way relationship.

The most common mistake in mentoring is to regard it as a paction or a one-way relationship.

In fact, tutors can learn a lot from their own guides.

Jody Alan, vice president of marketing and brand operation at Procter & Gamble Co., said: "I feel that I have gained almost as much as I paid."

Alan likes to discuss the development of mobile technology and social media with his own guides.

"They gave me a lot of energy.

They are young and ambitious, and have more skills than I did when I was in my age. "

5. establishing a mentoring relationship

Many people are easy to direct.

Idol becomes his mentor.

This is wrong.

Mentoring relationships should come naturally.

First of all, some people do not like being asked directly as tutors.

If it is necessary to make a clear request, we should know each other before asking questions.

Nicole Loftus, CEO of marketing company Hit Big, said: "the establishment of mentoring relationship should be naturally developed.

I don't like to ask directly. "

She said she was gradually establishing relationships with her mentors through luncheon meetings and exchanges.

When you are looking for a mentor, you can ask your acquaintances and colleagues whether anyone has the industry knowledge, personality traits or connections you are looking for.

"We must take the initiative to go out," he said. "I'm looking for a mentor."

Do you know anyone? "To the people," I want to learn x, y and Z.

What are my priorities?

It's easier to get a satisfactory answer. "

Melcher agreed with her.

He said, "spread the net wide.

Do not ask, "would you like to be my mentor?" you can say, "I am very glad to meet you."

I have benefited a lot from communicating with you.

I hope to see you again in the coming months. "

A person will have different mentors at different stages of his career development and even have many mentors at the same time. If you are aware of this, you may be able to help eliminate stress.

Maybe a person can guide you how to deal with work life balance, and another person may introduce important potential customers to you.

"No one can be a mentor in his life," he said.