To Be Mentored Or Not To Be Mentored

A coach talks with you

A mentor talks to you

A sponsor talks about you

There are some days when I absolutely love my job and today was one of those days!

I spent the day hearing from 3 inspirational speakers (more about them in future blogs!) and then had an evening at a mentoring event run by TLA WomenInTech…

When I had my first mentee ask me to mentor them 4 years ago I didn't know why they'd asked me or what value I would add to them. Little did I know, just a few years later how much I'd love mentoring and that I'd actually have a blog called 'Cocktails and Coaching'!!

So why do I do it?

For me, 4 years ago, it really helped me develop my own self awareness. I always just thought I was lucky at work. So when I had to stop, think and explain why I do certain things, say certain things and act in a particular way it helped me realise my own strengths and maybe I wasn't just lucky!

And now, just a few years later, the energy I get from helping people develop and hopefully having a positive impact on their lives in some way is huge and I couldn't imagine not coaching and mentoring people.

So should you look for a mentor?

Here are some of the ways a mentor can help you;

• To help you identify your development opportunities
• To give you a different perspective (outside of your department or company)
• To help you identify your next career move
• To help with a specific problem you're facing
• Or, if you just see someone do something well, you can pick their brains to understand why or how they do what they do

And remember, you don't have to ask for an official mentoring relationship… You can gain loads from just having a one off conversation.

So what's stopping you asking someone to mentor you?

You've got a 50:50 chance of them saying yes! Plus you'd be surprised how much you'd both get out of it!