Mentor Relationship

Traditionally it was thought that a mentor had to be a “higher up” on the corporate ladder and that there must be some commonality between the mentor and mentee.  But there is a tremendous amount of information that can be learned from peers – at the same level or below – inside or outside of your company.  Feedback “up” the organization is of tremendous value and sometimes the best matches can be mismatches.  What can you learn from someone who is very similar to you?  Just as diversity in the workplace is healthy so is mentoring by someone completely different than you.  It may take a little longer to break the ice, but “opposites” can be more objective in their observations and advice.

Ask your human resources department to establish a formal mentoring program, if you are struggling to find a mentor on your own.
Respect and trust are the two vital ingredients of a mentor relationship.  You have to show respect and a willingness to listen and act on advice.  The mentor must respect you and your potential in order to expend energy to assist you.  You must trust each other and know that what is communicated will be confidential.  If the information exchanged becomes general knowledge then there really isn’t any “special” bond created between you.

A mentor can also be a professor, local business owner, parent’s friend or other retiree, a minister, an uncle or aunt, a neighbor, a past employer, a college friend, or almost anyone with mutual respect and trust.  Certainly, experience in your field or the overall workings of a company increase the value of a mentor in most cases.
The best way to keep your relationship continuing with your mentor is to sincerely thank them for the time they spend with you and the advice they provide.  When you make them feel important to your career development and how much they mean to you professionally, they will likely continue the mentoring for as long as needed.