In the business world, a mentor is someone who is typically older and always more experienced than another, and can help that other person in their professional development through guidance and coaching. Often recommended for those starting or running their own businesses, a mentor can actually be quite effective for anyone in a professional position – whether as an administrative assistant, to an engineering manager, all the way through to the president of a company. Mentoring can be a very rewarding experience for both the person being mentored and the person doing the mentoring.
Why would you want to have a mentor?
- Especially when you are starting out your own business, it will give you someone to turn to for advice, a second opinion, or as a sounding board.
- The mentor has dealt with some of the same situations that you have, and you can learn from their mistakes and successes.
- Your network will grow larger, through the introduction of your mentor.
Why would you want to be a mentor?
- It can help your skills as a consultant or teacher grow.
- You can give back to your community.
- You will learn from the person you are mentoring through their different ideas and perspectives.
How can you find a mentor or someone to mentor?
Oftentimes, there are programs provided either through the government or through local business organizations (ie – Chambers of Commerce) that set people up with mentors or with a person to mentor. If you have someone in mind that you would already like to work with – someone you have worked with previously, or who you know socially – you can ask this person directly about whether they’d be interested in a mentoring relationship.