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Finding and Keeping a Business Mentor

Today's Protégé Must Develop a Network of Mentoring Relationships

Sep 15, 2009 Marianne Lepa

The protégé-mentor relationship can be a lasting bond. But, in today's workplace, it's up to the protégé to find and develop a network of business mentors.

In the classic business mentoring relationship, an older worker takes a junior under his or her wing and shepherds the career of the junior for many years. However, today it’s rare for a senior worker to remain in one job for very long and, most likely, he has enough on his plate just keeping his own career on track.

According to an article in the August 2009 MIT Sloan Management Review, today’s protégé needs to create and manage a “team” of mentors from all the professional and personal aspects of his or her life. This spreads the risk and responsibility across a number of people and gives the protégé a broader range of advice and information to draw from.

But building and maintaining these networks is not easy for most people. The article talks to a number of “savvy” networkers and gleans the important tips for managing the mentor relationship.

Make a Direct Approach to Potential Mentors

Don’t be shy about initiating contact with someone who could be a potential business mentor. Most people are flattered by the interest of a junior colleague, so ask questions, seek advice and request feedback. Seek out mentors in other parts of the company and learn about other parts of the operation. And don’t forget to find mentors in volunteer organizations or industry associations.

Some potential mentors may show interest first. Interest in a junior’s experience may be more than just politeness on the part of a senior colleague. It’s worth striking up a relationship to see if there is the potential for coaching and mentoring.

The Protégé Makes the Initial Efforts

It will be up to the protégé to ensure that the mentor relationship gets off the ground. It may mean being assertive about meeting outside of working hours or being persistent in keeping in contact with a mentor.

When getting together with a mentor, be sure to be prepared for the time spent. If there is a particular challenge, then research the topic and have a number of solutions or approaches to discuss. Doing this background work demonstrates initiative and competency to the mentor.

The Mentor Relationship is About Sharing

Building a relationship means sharing information and helping by both parties. Sharing failures as well as successes with a mentor creates a bond of trust that allows the relationship to flourish. As well, the protégé has something to offer the mentoring relationship and should make him or herself useful and offer help wherever possible.

The smart protégé will just assume that people that people want to help. While someone who is too pushy will not fare well in a mentoring relationship, seeing the relationship as an opportunity to build bridges will put everyone at ease and can earn the protégé respect in the workplace.

The copyright of the article Finding and Keeping a Business Mentor in Career Advice is owned by Marianne Lepa. Permission to republish Finding and Keeping a Business Mentor in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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