1. Prioritize your list of criteria (the attributes and
characteristics). Come back to the list after you’ve identified some potential
mentor candidates and weigh your decision based on your criteria. This will
help you to make a decision based on learning fit and is not swayed by
chemistry.
2. Determine your personal readiness for a mentoring
relationship.
Mentoring is going to take time and work. Can you look yourself in the mirror
and honestly say that you have the time, willingness, and commitment to engage
in a mentoring relationship?
3. Reflect on your past mentoring experiences and the people who
have been there to guide and strengthen you. What lessons have you learned that
will help you make your future mentoring relationships stronger and more
productive? When you meet with your mentor for the first time you will want to
share your experiences and ask her about hers. It will give you an opportunity
to establish mutual expectations.
4. Establish agreements to lay the groundwork for your
relationship. If you hit a glitch or
stumbling block you can always refer back to your ground rules. Simple things like agreeing that you will
begin and end on time, always have a meeting date on the calendar, ending the
relationship on a positive note (even if it doesn’t work out) are helpful in
keeping the relationship on track. Talk about confidentiality and decide what
it means to you and your mentor and discuss the boundaries and limits of the
relationship.
No comments:
Post a Comment