How do you seek additional or alternative mentors for different aspects of your professional development?

In my view, identifying your needs and gaps in professional development allows you to pinpoint specific skills, knowledge, and competencies that require improvement or acquisition. By recognizing the challenges and opportunities in your current or desired role, you can align your learning objectives with the areas that will have the most significant impact on your career growth.

While researching potential mentors within your network or external sources is indeed a valuable step, it's important to consider a contrasting view. Relying solely on your existing network or limited online searches may restrict your exposure to diverse perspectives and innovative ideas. It's essential to cast a wider net and explore alternative avenues for mentorship, such as industry-specific conferences, professional associations, or mentorship programs.

Go with your gut! Trust is a huge factor in the success of any relationship of this type so in addition to all the cognitive activities above, checkin with your feelings too. Look out for shared values and expectations of how the relationship will work. No matter how good the relationship looks on paper, if you are unaligned in these areas, it won't work well

There are lots of places to look for mentors including right here on Linkedin. But I always try to start with specific commonalities that might further connection. For example, your alma mater (connection via the same school) is always a great start, as is looking for other people who have the same role or work in the same industry as you do. To find those people you can do a simple search on Linkedin

When reaching out to potential mentors, it's crucial to demonstrate your genuine interest in their work and show that you've done your research. Personalize your communication by referencing specific aspects of their expertise or achievements that resonate with you.

A strong mentee/mentor relationship thrives on asking/answering the 'difficult' questions. So personally, I like to find out really early on how well the other party is able to handle these by actually asking them one! For example, if I get a defensive answer to a question like, 'what do you see yourself as bringing to this relationship?' I may or may not rule them out. But if I rule them in, it's in the clear understanding of the limits on this relationship. And for some, this type of question may be seen as disrespectful. For me its a way of saving both parties a considerable amount of wasted time, frustration and, ultimately, mutual resentment.

Establishing and maintaining a mentorship relationship can indeed benefit from clear communication and agreement on interaction details. However, in my view flexibility and adaptability are equally important. Too rigidly defining the frequency, format, and goals of interactions may hinder organic mentorship dynamics and hinder the mentor's ability to respond to your evolving needs.

Making sure that you nurture your mentoring relationships ensures that you can continue to both cultivate the relationship over the long term and get value out of it in the short term. This can mean following up with your mentor in between meetings, checking in with them to share progress, finding ways to contribute to what they are working on, or simply shooting them an email or text message to see how they are doing

While having multiple mentors can provide different perspectives, a counter view suggests that it can also lead to conflicting advice and confusion. Too many diverse opinions may make it challenging to determine the best path forward for your professional development. Furthermore, managing relationships with multiple mentors can be time-consuming and overwhelming. It can be difficult to give each mentor the attention they deserve and build deep, meaningful connections.

Mentoring works best when both the mentor and the mentee have shared goals. There are mentors around us. We must first seek people we already know, work well with, are experts in their fields, are experienced and wise. We must follow their guidance, and be open to their advice, suggestions, and opinions. Bosses being our mentors work the best because we share common goals. We learn from our bosses when we work under their supervision or guidance to achieve their goals. When we achieve their goals, we achieve ours. It’s a win-win situation. However, often we will need several mentors at different stages of our career and for different goals.