TIPS - Finding the Right Mentor

Let's be honest ... Mentorship IS a "Relationship" - and like all relationships they require an investment of time and effort if they are to become what we would like them to be. So it really makes sense to have a good understanding on the 'front end' of what you are looking for in the relationship, and assess the likelihood of any potential mentoring partner in helping you reach that destination. 

Here are a few tips that may help you in finding a great Mentorship relationship. After reading them and watching the recommended video clip, please add a few tips of your own as a comment to this post!

Credit where credit is due - This Post was sparked by reading a recent article that I encourage you to read in full. It was called: How to Benefit from a Mentor Relationship - written by Heather Huhman and posted on July 8, 2011 at http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/07/08/how-to-benefit-from-a-mentor-relationship-

Huhman rightly points out that, "... a mentor can be a great resource, especially if you find one who has navigated your industry before and has ample experience. This individual is a prime source of support, constructive criticism, and unbiased advice when it comes to your job opportunities, workplace conflicts, and much more."

This exact point is wonderfully illustrated in an interview that I had with Tony Bishop, a long-time personal friend and one-time colleague.  Tony has spoken with hundreds of business owners and seen many business plans as a former private sector Business Consultant and recently, a retired instructor at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).  In our conversation, Tony provides some great suggestions on how an entrepreneur can find information and insights on unusual types of businesses.  The example he uses is that of a scrap steel business where industry information is more difficult to locate. This is where having a Mentor with specific industry experience can prove to be invaluable!

Huhman also recommends that Proteges "... be prepared to dedicate time towards the relationship, as not much is gained from a relationship with little effort and time put into it."

To this point, Tony adds some outstanding tips in our interview on how to make the best use of the limited time with your Mentorship partner.  He stresses the importance of understanding what the time commitments are going to be, setting some rules for when the two of you will get together and being disciplined in the relationship.  (As a side note, I love the quote that Tony heard from Jim Pattison of The Jim Pattison Group.)

Watch Tony's full interview on our YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOTCndIaxks&feature=related

Huhman also suggests the following practical tips to find the right mentor:

• Look for someone with goals similar to your own.
• Take the initiative to contact the individual.

Stories of Mentoring

Stories have a way of speaking to us and can reach us at many different levels. I recall hearing a couple of Mentorship stories that were shared by Professor David Clutterbuck, Practice Lead, Clutterbuck Associates during his presentation at the APEGGA Mentorship Conference in Calgary, Alberta (October 2010).

Professor Clutterbuck very kindly took a moment out of his travels to email me the text version while he was in Ghana.  (Thank you very much.) With his permission, I am pleased to post them for you now. 

• What thoughts, truths or principles come to your mind as you read these stories?
• Are there some additional mentorship related stories that you could recommend to our readers?

Add your comments to this post, and we'll look forward to sharing them with others soon.

Here are two stories provided by Professor Clutterbuck:

Stories of mentoring - I have been trying for some time to collect stories from different cultures, which parallel the ancient myth of Mentor. It seems that the concept of an older, wiser person, developing the wisdom in a younger person, is very common. Two of my favourite stories – one positive and one showing the dark side of mentoring – are below:

Positive: From West Africa. A young boy’s father is dying. He tells his son: "Under the big rock outside the hut is everything you will need to become a great warrior.” Encouraged by his mother, every day the child attempts to move the rock. Although he pushes with all his strength, it does not budge. Eventually, at the age of 16, he feels a small amount of give. Then at 18, he rolls the rock away and finds underneath it a sword and shield. “How will this make me a great warrior?” he asks, disappointed. “Just look at your muscles,” says his mother...

Negative: India (the story of Eklavya from the epic Mahabarat). The poor young boy watches the guru train the children of rich men in archery. He copies what he sees and, through practice, eventually becomes so good that he is able to win an archery competition, beating all the guru’s students. Buoyed up with his success, he approaches the guru to ask if he can become one of his protégés. By custom, the guru may demand a gift from new acolytes. This guru, offended at the young boy’s success, tells him the gift he requires is “Your thumbs”