MENTORING INSIGHT FOR MENTEES

Dear aspiring mentee;

Do you know that being mentored involves work? You might have to work faster and smarter. You have to be proactive. Truth is mentorship comes at a cost, even if it is not a financial cost.

Mentorship is a two-way street, you give and you get. It is a symbiotic relationship, not a parasitic relationship. A parasitic relationship is one where you do all the getting and give nothing in return. In mentoring, you give value at your level and get value at a higher level. Value flows in 2 directions: between the mentor and mentee.

 To get a high profile mentor, you should show high-value potential. When potential meets value an explosive progression occurs.

 Mentoring takes time. Truth is, high performers and achievers have a large number of people seeking to be mentored by them. If they accept all prospective mentees, it would be impossible for them to give value at the level they are currently giving it, which is what attracted you to them in the first place.

 If someone turns down your request for mentoring, don’t take it personally. It might be they have so much on their hands and may not have extra time for mentoring engagement.

 Mentorship could be either formal or informal. The common denominator is that mentorship operates on the currency of value. It is a value exchange. The mentor-Mentee relationship is a value-adding platform.

 The person you go to when stuck in a certain area is an informal mentor. The one that directs you; "Do it this way, do it the other way" is a mentor. All mentoring doesn't start with a formal request to be mentored. Never underestimate your mentor because it started informally.

 A mentor would give you assignments that could push you outside your comfort zone. Are you mentor-ready?

 Before you seek mentoring; ask yourself, if you are ready to do the work involved. If not, get a model. Someone you can understudy from afar, without a one on one engagement. You can read their books or social media posts.

 To all aspiring mentees, keep building and take personal development seriously. The important thing is to advance in a career or any other quest, you desire. Toast to higher ground.