choosing a mentor

Seeking a mentor in your job, whether it is your first job out of college or the last stop on your career path, choosing the right person can be critical to enjoying a successful time with that company, but also achieving your personal and professional goals. A mentor can be someone who you work directly for, someone you work alongside or even someone who has little bearing on your path but is someone you view with a level of respect for their thoughts and views. A mentor does not have to write your reviews and control your future with the company but should be someone who helps you take control of your own future.

When searching for a mentor, many people look for someone who can and will be able to directly lead them to a higher salary, a desired job title, or the opportunity to lead a project or team. But these are not the things that truly drive a mentor-mentee relationship. Look for someone who will challenge your ideas, always ask to you produce effective solutions to problems and will not let you do anything less than your best. The right mentor will also help you recognize areas you can improve in way that allows you to learn from mistakes or less than ideal turnouts without making you feel as if you failed. A true mentor bases the success of the relationship on you hitting your end goals, goals you have chose for yourself, not ones they have set for you. Don’t grab onto the first person in your new job when you start and ask them to be your mentor; instead, probe around the people near you to find someone that is going to be your biggest advocate for your success.

Last, do not be afraid to move on from a mentor as you transition through your career because each will have their own expiration date as you grow. They do not have to leave your life entirely but may just fold to the background. Eventually you will become the mentor for someone else further down your career path and remember these lessons as crucial to success because they will be the same drivers that guide that relationship, just in reverse.

Mentorship can be one of the most rewarding experiences in a career path, both as a mentor and a mentee, and choosing correctly is a hard, but worthwhile decision to make.

Ambition In Motion President Garrett Mintz sits down with Andrea Butcher, President at HRD, Podcast Host, Talent Strategist, Executive Coach, to discuss mentoring relationships which have had an impact on her career. 

Andrea Butcher is  a visionary business leader. Extensive experience as a talent management professional, focusing on the growth and development of individuals, work teams, and leaders. Specializes in executive coaching,  development and facilitation of learning,  performance consulting,  succession planning, talent attraction, and Human Resources.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abutcher0201/
Website: hrdadvisorygroup.com
Twitter: abundantempower

Ambition In Motion leverages horizontal mentorship to help professionals elevate their work skills and break through communication barriers.

Ambition In Motion's core values are: be growth-oriented, people first, empower efficient leaders, be data-driven, and have integrity and vulnerability.

Ambition In Motion's vision is a world where the vast majority of people are excited to go to work, when they are there their expectations meet reality, and when they come home they feel fulfilled.

Ambition In Motion has programs for companies to match their internal employees together for horizontal mentorship (within departments, across departments, within special interest groups, for onboarding employees, identifying emerging leaders, upskilling middle managers, etc.), for professional associations to match their members together for mentorship, and for executives to connect them with other executives outside of their company for mentorship.

Learn more here: https://ambition-in-motion.com/

I recently met with my new peer mentor and really didn't know what to expect. I joined Ambition in Motion to stay vulnerable while continuing to grow personally and professionally, but I didn't really know how the journey was going to start off. It felt like I was jumping into the ocean, but not really knowing how deep the water was going to be or if there were any nearby resources around that I could use to stay afloat. Regardless, I jumped in with open eyes, and am glad I did! 

 

I learned that we have A LOT in common! Our paths and motivations were slightly different, but we both joined Ambition in Motion to grow as people and as leaders, and I respect her just for making that important observation and decision. We both have a passion for people, teams and helping them be effective and transform into different versions of themselves. 

I'm proud of how I've done this in the past and am excited to hear how she has done so as well. I tend to see my career as a "challenge" with milestones that I can accomplish along the way like building teams, structures, systems, programs, and other relatable items that improve or enhance a company's ability to attract, hire and retain the best talent. 

Accomplishments for me are "wins" that I can tout and be proud of along the way, only to jump right into the next challenge and "win" all over again. I'm a little competitive with myself! :) She thinks of her career as a "calling" as she was meant to do the things and career she has based on her passion in life. I think of life as a game with obstacles to overcome that I need to "win", but haven't thought of my career as a purpose before. A very interesting way of thinking! 

 

Needless to say, I'm excited to continue this discussion with my peer mentor as I believe different minds can come together to make beautiful things happen to those around you. Even though you may think differently, find the commonality that you have with someone and see where that takes you as a person or at work. Your approach may work, but others may work as well - and maybe better. 

Don't discredit those that are different than you, or think in a way that is not your own. When you do this, you close your mind to different possibilities that you would've never thought of or pursued before. Keep your eyes wide open when you meet new people. This is how you learn and continue to grow!