One of my biggest professional regrets in the world of HR was not having a mentor. And I know that I’m not alone in this feeling.
Finding a mentor can be difficult. Add in finding the right mentor who can genuinely help guide you through different stages of your career, and it can be a bit intimidating.
From the feedback I’ve received from listeners and emails, many people actually don’t have a mentor but want to know how to find one.
Some of the common questions I get asked are:
How does one find a mentor?
What makes a good mentor?
And in the world of self-help, what’s the difference between a mentor and a coach?
Well, Mike Sipple, Jr., a mentor to mentors and the founder and CEO of Talent Magnet Institute, joined me on the podcast to talk all about the art of mentoring.
Now I’m going to share the three steps to finding a mentor, with tips and insights gleaned from my time with Mike.
First things first, how do you know when it’s time to find a mentor?
Well, as Mike explains it, “Life is not a solo sport. If you feel like you’re the only one, like you’re by yourself, that it is a solo sport and no one understands, now is a wonderful time to seek out a mentor.”
With self-help and personal development taking up so much space in the world today—especially in light of the current changes happening with work—you may have people telling you it’s time to get a life coach. Identify what it is you need so you know if you need a life coach or a mentor.
Do you need a mentor or a coach? And what is the difference?
A mentor is someone who will offer guidance and wisdom to you. A coach is going to help you work through a particular process. So if you are looking for some direction from someone in your field or a field you want to be in, a mentor may be for you. If you have a plan you need help executing, a coach may be better suited to help you accomplish your specific goal.
Now that you have that all down and have determined a mentor is for you, how do you find one and then proceed to ask them to be your mentor?
Part of finding a mentor is identifying the person you want to learn from. There’s something about the energy… the passion… the experiences they’ve had in the past that you can benefit from today. I think that’s a person you can step in and learn from. And you can simply say, “Hey, I’d love to spend time with you.”
If you are ready to level up your game as a worker, as a leader, as a human being or maybe, as a mentor, head on over here to listen to my conversation with Mike Sipple, Jr. to learn the art of finding a mentor.