Monday, April 7, 2014
Good morning,
It seems like everywhere you go and everywhere you look, some organization, group or individual is looking for a mentor. This morning, I am participating, along with 24 other top female professionals in Dallas, with the Dallas Business Journals’ Mentoring Monday, which will kick off a “speed-dating” like mentoring program of over 100 women mentees at the Belo Mansion for “mentoring moments” shared by each mentor. This includes a simultaneous event across the Business Journals’ 39 markets, each having a group of mentors and mentees present. Brilliant and Powerful.
The Real Estate Council (recouncil.com) in Dallas kicked off their mentoring program last week, CREW Network (crewnetwork.org) will kick off another mentoring event at their annual convention in Miami in September this year, and 4Word (4wordwomen.org) has a mentor match program, just to name a few.
If you are interested in being a Mentor, or are looking for a Mentor, go to any one of these organizations for more information, or to a mentoring organization in your area.
I have listed 5 Top Tips to Being a Good Mentor or Mentee.
- Active Listeners. Active listening takes energy. People who listen actively don’t simply sit back and allow words to hit their eardrums. They sit up straight. They take notes. They ask questions. They repeat or “mirror back” what they’ve heard to ensure they’ve understood it properly. Active listeners are the ones who provide non-verbal gestures (e.g. eye contact, nodding, etc.) that indicate they’re following (or not following) what you’re saying.
- Dedicated to Their Success. I’m not suggesting that people should have a myopic view and are dedicated to only their own success. What I’m saying is that people who take pride in their work, who want to grow, and who truly care about their career trajectory are assets because of their high expectations.
- Curious. People who are naturally curious tend to follow the “if there’s a will, there’s a way” philosophy. If they don’t know the answer or if they need help with something, they won’t sit back and wait; they’ll go looking for the answers
- Willing to step out of their comfort zones. These people are willing to try new things, consider new thoughts, and think outside of the proverbial box for the sake of personal and professional growth.
- The 3 R’s: Responsible, Respectful, & Ready. People who are responsible, respectful, and ready to get started with new projects help make the day-to-day work experience a better one not only for themselves, but also for everyone around them.
Giving back is always important to not only the Mentee but to the Mentor as well. It will help enrich the lives of both!