You’re struggling to advance in your career. How can a mentor help you get ahead?

3 How to work with a mentor

Working with a mentor requires commitment, communication, and collaboration. You must respect their time, expertise, and feedback, as well as show appreciation and gratitude. Additionally, you need to be open, honest, and curious in order to take action on your mentor's advice and suggestions. To work with a mentor effectively, it is important to establish the ground rules. This includes agreeing on the goals, expectations, boundaries of the relationship, frequency of meetings, duration of meetings, format of meetings, preferred methods of communication, indicators for progress/success, and criteria for satisfaction/feedback. Before each meeting with your mentor you should come prepared with an agenda, list of questions or topic to discuss. Additionally, update them on your achievements or challenges since the last meeting and be ready to listen and learn. After each meeting you should thank them for their time and insights while summarizing key points/action items/next steps agreed upon. Keep them informed of your progress or results and ask for input/guidance if needed.

4 Challenges of a mentorship

A mentorship is not always easy. You may encounter some challenges that can affect your relationship with your mentor, or your own growth and development. These challenges can include mismatched expectations, a lack of trust or rapport, or a loss of interest or motivation. For example, you and your mentor may have different expectations for the relationship, different personalities that clash, or not feel comfortable or supported by each other. You may also lose interest in the mentorship due to a lack of progress, results, or feedback. Or you may be overwhelmed by other priorities.

5 How to overcome challenges

If you encounter any challenges or difficulties in your mentoring relationship, you should not give up or ignore them. Instead, strive to overcome them and resolve them constructively. To do this, communicate openly and respectfully with your mentor. Listen to each other's perspectives, feelings, and needs, and try to understand and empathize with them. Express your appreciation, gratitude, and recognition for each other's efforts, achievements, and support. Additionally, be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, needs, or goals. Adjust your expectations, plans, or strategies if necessary, accommodating each other's preferences, styles, or personalities. Be open to learning new things and trying new approaches. If needed, don't hesitate to seek help or support from others. Ask for advice, feedback, or guidance from other mentors, peers, or experts who can offer different perspectives. Utilize online resources, tools, or platforms that can enhance your learning, development, or communication.