When do you know it is time to get a mentor?
Why do we wait until we get to the end of our own capacity before we reach out for help? There are so many benefits, so much potential, and a mutual reward in journeying with a mentor; someone who is able to ask good questions, listen to you, challenge and grow with you!!
Before you run out and try to find one though, it might be helpful to have a mind about what effective mentoring is…and isn’t. There are all sorts of ways and reasons that we would engage the help or involvement of another or others. Mentoring has a unique place and purpose in our interdependent journey.
Often the hardest part is reaching out and asking someone as we second guess ourselves…what does that mean that I am needing to ask?… what if they say no, or think less of me, or see me as weak? well, my answer to that is We were never meant to walk our journey alone!! We can do better with and for each other!
When it comes to the mentoring question however, having a clear understanding of our own motives first can prove very helpful in being confident with asking someone to be a mentor…because we know why we are asking.
Let’s break the first step down a little and set up a bit of a framework of questions to ask yourself in coming to a clearer understanding of why you are thinking of asking someone to mentor you. These are some of the thought processes I went through in answering this question for myself…
Do I find myself regularly thinking about who I could talk to about how to grow in my journey?
Was there catalyst; a significant moment or experience in the past that has played a part in my wanting a mentor?
-Break down what has brought me to this point? Is it a ‘something’ or is it a combination of many things over time?
Is there just a specific task in front of me that I want help doing, or do I want to go on a journey to find new ways to grow amidst all the tasks that I have in front of me?
Would I be comfortable being accountable to someone I trust, for actually doing whatever comes out of conversation in a mentoring relationship, or do I just want to catch up informally from time to time?
In answering these questions internally, I was able to conclude, that;
this feeling of internal wanting someone to share the journey with was not just to do with a current problem
this is about me in the many roles, responsibilities and interdependent relationships I am in
I was ready to be honest, influenceable and be held accountable for what I decide to do
this is something I have been thinking about for a while.
…what to do next?…Read on about how to begin looking!
