Source: Changeboard.com
Many years ago I was a struggling international student in Sydney, Australia; studying full time and, to make both ends meet, working part time in whatever job I would get: be it as a kitchen hand or a shop assistant, or a labourer. I wanted to have a career in corporate but the main challenge for me was I had no local experience and I did not know what to do or where to start from. Then one day while travelling on a train I saw an abandoned copy of a newspaper on a seat. I picked it up and saw an interview of Ahmed Fahour, then CEO of NAB. His advice – and one of the best life lessons I have ever received – ‘Start with whatever you get and it is better to start at the bottom because then you will learn the business really well.’
I have never met Ahmed Fahour face to face, but he actually acted like a mentor to me.
The point I am attempting to make is that a mentor can have a very positive impact – sometime life changing – in the life of a professional. In my professional life, I have been lucky to have had some great mentors; I myself have mentored some professionals too. Whether or what impact I have left in their lives, only they can tell.
Here is a summary of what I have learnt in course of finding a mentor.
Will within yourself
You want a mentor because you want to progress in your career. The most important thing is, it has to come from within you.
Do you have a desire to progress?
What does career progression mean for you? Does it mean a promotion, or does it mean more money in the same role, e.g. working in the same role but instead of a permanent role you work as a contractor? Or, does it mean changing your job role, i.e. you are not happy in your current role and with your skillset you can fit into another role? Or, does it mean you know what you want to do but not sure what skillset is required and how to gain that skillset?
The above are questions that you need to work with yourself on.
I myself have been through all these and this is a learning journey. I feel that in this process I have learned a lot more about myself, I had doubts which I had to work on; even more, I have gained some life lessons too.
Have a look within your organisation
The best way to find a mentor is within the organisation where you work. You need to get an understanding of the organisational structure and hierarchy. Then get an understanding who does what. At the same time, get an understanding of what is required from you in your current role.
Here is a challenging task: how good do you think you are at doing your current job? Be honest with you, there is no need to be too harsh with yourself. If there is lack in your skillset, there’s no need to feel guilty: the most effective step to become very good at doing a job is realising where your weaknesses lie and how you can work on that to become the best. What might follow next is asking yourself: do you enjoy doing this job? If yes, note down the areas of improvement.
If you enjoy your work, can your manager / people leader be a mentor to you? It is a great idea to have an honest conversation with them. But be smart in the way you talk to them: don’t mention to them that you think you are not good at certain areas of your job; rather tell them that you really want to do well in your job and so you want some mentoring. That way s/he will feel that you are taking ownership for your own development.
If you do not enjoy your current job, look within the organisation if there is another area where you would like to work. Then follow the next steps mentioned here.
Listen and observe
It is a great idea to listen to their (the team of your choice) conversations and observe what they do. This does not mean spying on them. There is a proper way to do it. When there are organisational events, it is likely that team will present their work and you can get an idea what they do. Also, at lunch time or on a coffee break you can use your networking skills to talk to them. One technique I have found very effective is, look for a job circular in their role somewhere (like the Seek) that will give you a good idea of the skillset required.
Communicate
Communication is always a great tool in getting things done. If you want someone to be your mentor, have a conversation with them. There are many ways you can have a conversation with them. The key points to remember are:
Show respect. If you expect someone to be a mentor, remember they are doing you a favour, so respect and appreciate them.
Be smart in how you approach them, i.e. instead of saying ‘I want you to be my mentor’, can you consider something like, ‘You are so great at what you do and wonder if I can request some guidance from you.’ That way you are showing them respect and making them feel important.
Never feel shy to communicate. What is the worst thing that can come out of it? The maximum is that they can say no.
Have a plan
If someone has agreed to mentor you, having a plan around it is very important. You need to clarify these points:
How will the mentoring work, i.e. will your mentor meet you once or twice a week and start exploring the skillset you want to achieve? Or, will it require you to shadow her / him a few hours a day or week? Or, will you be work on a secondment in your mentor’s team?
Is the mentoring arrangement likely to impact your current work? If so, you need to have a discussion with your manager as to how to manage that. This is very important in some cases, e.g., where your mentor wants you to work on a secondment in their team. In such cases, who will pay your wages for the duration of your secondment: your line of business or your mentor’s line of business? Also, can your manager afford to let you work in a separate team for some time?
Attend professional events
As a professional what professional bodies are there for you? If you are an accountant you will look at something like CPA Australia, or if you are an IT professional you will look at something like Australian Computer Society. Or if you are in another country look for the professional bodies relevant to your country where you can attend professional events and get a huge opportunity to network with potential mentors.
Never stop learning
The corporate world is highly competitive, and disruptive technologies and work practices are adding to these competition. The only way to survive in this competition is enriching your knowledge. Read books, take the digital advantage, i.e., watch helpful videos on YouTube, read magazines related to your profession.
In my next article I will talk about some tools for the mentor and the mentee.
Author's note: You can watch my talk on the same topic here. You may also consider reading my next article Career progression and managing relationship with a mentor.
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