Mentoring is an active and collaborative relationship where a mentor acts as a role model, listening to their mentee and sharing their professional experiences in a way that benefits both parties.

We can all agree — the best way to learn is through experience. But, does it always have to be your experience? Learning from others can be just as valuable and reduces trial and error time. This is why one of the most powerful things you can do for your career is to engage in mentoring.

As a part of this mentoring experience, you’ve taken the first step to unlocking the benefits of this relationship.

Let’s face it, mentoring can be time-consuming. With many competing priorities, it can be challenging to set aside the time. Many people see mentoring as something that primarily benefits mentees. But this isn’t the case! Investing time in mentoring also has many benefits for the organization and the mentor as well.

Keep in mind that this is only a snapshot of the many benefits of mentoring. You’ll discover more for yourself as your relationship progresses. If things get busy and finding time to prepare gets difficult, revisit these benefits and focus on those that stand out to you. This will make it easier to invest that time each week.

You may be wondering what the difference is between a mentor and other influential relationships such as your manager, a coach, or sponsor.

An easy way to remember it is a manager tells you, a coach talks to you, a sponsor talks about you, and a mentor talks with you.

Each relationship has a slightly different goal and structure. The following table outlines more about each one and what it means for you.

The more you put into mentoring, the more you’ll get out of it.

At the end of this experience, you and your mentor or mentee will have built a strong relationship. You’ll have moved past getting to know each other, built trust and rapport, and shown accountability. This will have set the stage for meaningful conversations that got below the surface and helped you both uncover opportunities for personal and professional growth.

You’ll help each other set attainable development goals and come up with ways to work towards them. Achieving or making progress towards these will bring a sense of satisfaction, empowering you to reach the next step in your career journey.

What’s more, if you complete at least 80% of the milestones by the end of the experience, you’ll each receive a certificate of completion to recognize your achievement and use towards your professional development plan.

While it takes work to successfully complete this experience, it doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ve helped get you started by setting up your pairing, discussion topics, and the intervals for your meetings. You’ll also get helpful resources to help you prepare for each conversation.

Before diving into your discussions, take some time to align on your expectations from each other. Doing this upfront will start you off on the same page and help avoid problems down the road. Consider the three expectations described below as a guide for this conversation.

Interested in learning more? Check out our blog on 10KC.com