Traditionally in mentorships, the mentee is the one expected to reach out to the mentor. They're the ones seeking the help of more experienced professionals so it would make sense that they make the first move. But that can be very intimidating. We all know that asking for help is no easy task.
So as a mentor, you can imagine that potential mentees might be afraid to approach you... afraid you might say no.
What if we were to rethink this whole process? What if the mentor is the one to reach out and offer help? Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Turn the Tables
If you want to mentor, don’t wait for a mentee to come to you, go to them. You've had great mentors in your career, great guidance and support - why not be that person for someone else? Browse profiles and choose to connect with the people who you believe can grow and go further with just a little help and support.
Recognize Your Mentoring Capabilities
A mentor doesn’t necessarily need to be a senior executive with 30+ years of experience. Anyone with work experience can be a mentor. Your mentee can be just a few years behind your own career point. In fact, you will find that if you and your mentee have around 5 years of career experience separating you, you might actually have more relevant advice than someone 20 or 30 years their senior, who might be less aware of the day-to-day realities of someone at your level. Plus, it can be less intimidating and more relatable.
Who Can YOU Help?
You might want to mentor someone that is following the same career path as you because it’s natural to seek someone who reminds us of our younger selves. Or you could look for someone a bit different, from a different industry perhaps, to give yourself the opportunity to learn new things whilst sharing your own experience.
Mentorship is Reciprocal
Being a mentor can be a great learning experience for both mentee and mentor. As you verbalize the basics for your mentee, sometimes you'll find that the basics are exactly what you should be reviewing. It benefits you both and you'll end up learning from them just as much as they learn from you.
Don’t hesitate to start mentoring someone. Reach out and change a life. You never know, they might change yours as well.
Launch a Mentorship Program for your Company / Organization
In addition to helping individuals, Upnotch also works with companies and organizations of virtually any size and type to deliver powerful, impactful mentorship.
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