How can you build a strong mentorship network in Creative Strategy?

1 Identify your goals and needs

Before you start looking for mentors, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what kind of help you need. Do you want to improve your skills, expand your knowledge, explore new opportunities, or get feedback on your work? Do you need a mentor who has a similar background, style, or vision as you, or someone who can offer a different perspective or challenge? Do you prefer a formal or informal mentoring relationship, and how often do you want to communicate? These questions will help you narrow down your search and match with the right mentors.

2 Seek out diverse and relevant mentors

Creative strategy is a broad and interdisciplinary field that can benefit from multiple sources of inspiration, insight, and advice. Therefore, you should seek out mentors who have diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise in different aspects of creative strategy, such as research, design, copywriting, branding, storytelling, or innovation. You can also look for mentors who have relevant skills or knowledge in your specific industry, niche, or project. You can find potential mentors through online platforms, professional networks, events, courses, or referrals.

3 Establish clear and respectful expectations

Once you have identified some potential mentors, you need to reach out to them and express your interest in learning from them. You should be polite, concise, and specific about why you want them as a mentor, what you hope to gain from the relationship, and what you can offer in return. You should also discuss and agree on the expectations and boundaries of the mentoring relationship, such as the frequency, duration, mode, and agenda of the interactions, the goals and milestones of the learning process, and the feedback and evaluation methods. You should respect your mentor's time, availability, and preferences, and communicate any changes or issues as soon as possible.

5 Give back and pay it forward

Building a strong mentorship network in creative strategy is not only about receiving, but also about giving. You should appreciate and acknowledge your mentors for their time, effort, and wisdom, and show them the impact that they have made on your growth and development. You can also give back to your mentors by sharing your insights, resources, or connections that may be useful for them, or by helping them with their projects or challenges. Furthermore, you can pay it forward by becoming a mentor yourself, and sharing your skills, knowledge, and experience with others who are looking for guidance and support in creative strategy.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?