Why do I need a mentor?
I'm sure you've read lately that a lot of people have a mentor. It is not a new concept, but perhaps it has taken on greater importance in recent years where meeting professional goals has become a challenge, where creativity plays a preponderant role and the solution to many problems is no longer so linear. Where many professionals have decided to take control of their careers and not simply get carried away by what the company of the day offers. Where many others have started an arduous but wonderful journey to turn their professional passion into a business or a real profession (and not just think of it as a dream of youth that never happened).
The term comes from Greek mythology, where "Mentor" was Telemachus' advisor and guide in the Odyssey, and therefore this concept is applied to those who act as such.
Before you called him a reference, role model, godfather, sponsor. Now he is a mentor, a slightly more comprehensive concept because he not only works with your action plans and your goals towards your professional objective but also with your current situation, your obstacles, fears, limiting beliefs, resources and habits.
Being a mentor is not a profession that you study at a university or graduate level. Hence also that the concept of integration requires more skills (communication, empathy, commitment, active listening, patience, among others) and tools (such as coaching, personal / professional training, among others).
Something important: mentoring is not a one-way activity, it requires a two-way relationship. If you do not have confidence in your mentor, if you do not firmly believe in what she teaches you, if you do not follow her advice, that person is not your mentor… she is simply a teacher or someone who transmits information or knowledge to you.
So what can a mentor do for you?
- Guiding you to take the first steps towards achieving your goals Teaching you step by step (not only from his knowledge but also from his experiences… and especially how he has solved his mistakes) can show you your blind spots and help you solve them motivate you and get excited when it costs you move forward or when you are not getting the results you hope to support you in the decisions you have to make and gain experience from your mistakes challenge yourself, challenge yourself to do something different, to move forward, to take control of the situation focus and teach you to determine priorities to correctly direct your efforts and resources give you ideas,Helping you innovate and awaken creativity helps you see your potential (because of our biases it is sometimes difficult to see our own potential) and shows you the way to be able to develop it helps you get started and move to action orients you and helps you find a direction, a direction offers you a positive role model (this means a model, an example to aspire to be) helps you create your long-term strategic vision (to move towards it)
There is a beautiful phrase (which I honestly do not know who said it but he is very right) that says “buy first from your mentor before buying his products”. What does this mean? That if you "buy" or accept, you trust that person, you are inspired by their story, what that person tells you and teaches you mobilizes you, their message makes sense to you… there you can then buy their products or services and you will be fully satisfied.
What are you waiting to seek your mentor in your professional life?
