By Nichole Ahlstrom
COLL100 Faculty at American Public University
While mentoring is generally regarded as something you do to help others, the role of mentor can actually help you to succeed in your career. Mentors have an opportunity to think beyond their own situation, get insight into the perspectives of others, and develop relationships and trust with those they mentor.
Guiding a mentee with career advice can play a vital role in the person’s career decisions and successes. The mentor/mentee relationship involves shared accountability and a focus on common objectives and goals.
Mentors and mentees need to be:
- Committed to success
- Ambitious – driven to achieve goals
- Flexible to adapt and overcome obstacles in order to act on new insightful information
- Open to new paths to achievement
Openness, honesty, and sincerity allows for needs and objectives not only to be met, but also accomplished. Both sides need to be able to listen and to understand that a different viewpoint does not mean that his/her way is wrong. The idea is the willingness to work with others in accomplishing common goals.
Constructive feedback should not be perceived as negative feedback. It is way to learn, grow, and mature in one’s career. It is vital that the mentor share viewpoints as information and new knowledge, rather than disapproval.
Together, mentor and mentee should create a mission statement and plan of action, develop precise and practical goals, and establish deadlines. Goals and objectives should be reviewed frequently to make necessary modifications so that focus, purpose, and willpower are not lost in career success. Mentees should listen and ask questions, be prepared for meetings and assignments/projects, and make sure the career goals that are set have meaning so that purpose and drive are never lost.
[Related: Practical Approach to Networking for Career Advancement]
About the Author: Nichole Ahlstrom is an adjunct faculty member at American Public University. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. She is currently working on her Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership degree with the University of Phoenix. Nichole lives in Okinawa, Japan with her husband, who is an active duty Marine, and they have two boys. Nichole love
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