So, you’ve decided you want to work with a mentor. Good idea. Mentors can teach you many worthwhile skills while imparting their experience and opening doors to valuable industry contacts.
But how do you find a mentor? And having identified a prospect, how can you tell if he or she is a good fit?
Start by looking inside your firm, says Rosemary Smyth, a Victoria-based business coach for financial advisors.
“Talk to your branch manager and let her know what you’re looking for,” Smyth says. “Your company’s training department might continue working with you after your formal training ends. Some firms provide in-house mentoring or you can look for a recently retired adviser.”
Smyth is cautious about asking someone from another firm to mentor you. “The concern is that your colleagues might think you’re passing on company secrets,” she says, “or considering joining the other firm.”
Once you do find a prospective mentor, it’s important to meet to determine if it’s a good fit.
“That discussion is a very important part of the process,” Smyth says. “You want to find out what you can expect from working together.”
George Hartman, managing partner with Accretive Advisor in Toronto, suggests you set the context for your discussion by describing your situation and explaining why a mentoring relationship would be helpful. “Then, ask:‘Have you mentored before?’ If the answer is yes, ask them to describe how the relationship evolved over time and what they think both parties got from it.”
Adds Smyth: “If the person has mentored before, ask, ‘What did you like best about it?’ This is another way to discover their strengths. Did they enjoy teaching or watching someone grow as a professional?”
If the person has never mentored, Hartman suggests, ask them to talk about how they see the mentor’s role.
Below are some additional questions for prospective mentors:
> Have you ever had a mentor, either formally or informally? If so, could you describe how that helped you?
> What area(s) of expertise are you willing to mentor me on?
Ask yourself what you need at this point in your career. Says Smyth: “If [a prospective mentor] hasn’t done cold calling in 10 years, they won’t be much help with that.”
> What would your commitment look like?
It’s important to establish expectations up front, including the amount of time involved, Hartman says. How often will you meet? Where? How long will the relationship last? What are the boundaries?
“Discuss the nature of your communication: Will you meet formally or informally? Will you communicate via phone or email? Can you call your mentor at home? At night or on weekends? The clearer you are from the beginning, the better.”
> May I speak with one of your previous mentees?
“It’s like getting a testimonial,” Smyth says. “It helps you understand what you can expect from the relationship.”
If the prospective mentor is from your firm, how can the relationship be kept non-competitive?
“[You] could be at a disadvantage in this situation,” Smyth says. “So, it might be best if the mentor is a senior person who is not taking new clients.”
> Based on what you know about me, do you think you could help me in a mentoring role? Are you willing to do so?
This is the second installment in a two-part series on working with a mentor.