How To Set Yourself Up For Successful Mentorship Relationships

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Are you one of those people who would like to have a mentor or be a mentor but can't seem to find time for mentorship relationships? I think you should reconsider. Over half of Nobel Prize winners were apprenticed by other Nobel laureates (Peter Saddington, PMP, PMI webinar "Growing High-Performance Teams through Coaching & Mentoring"). That's right; mentorship isn't just valuable; it is crucial for one's success. This article will share what to look for in mentorship relationships, the various types of mentors, and how to set up your next mentorship relationships for success.

First of all, let's define the role of a mentor. Who is a mentor? What is their role? Mark Mullaly, PMP, defines a mentor as someone who provides "generalized guidelines in overall development" and "supports the realization of an individual's full potential." A mentor is different from a coach; the latter helps develop specific skills and competencies. That makes mentorship relationships more lasting and profound in comparison to coaching. Both mentor and mentee should be prepared to invest time and energy into the mentorship process and be committed to developing an emotional connection.

Now that you understand the full depth of mentorship relationships, you might be asking yourself what you can do to benefit from your next mentorship relationships fully. To do that, let's discuss different types of mentors and the value they provide. In his book "The Five Types of Mentors You Need," Art Markam identifies five types of mentors and how each of them can help you grow. Understanding the different types of mentors is important, so you can find a mentor who can help you the most.

The Coach. This type of mentor is the closest one to a coach. This mentor helps a mentee to develop strategic capacities via opening up their mind to various viewpoints. They utilize active listening and asking questions to help the mentee understand and develop new capabilities.

The Star. The Star mentor is a person who is in a role in their career that the mentee aspires to. This type of mentor serves as a role model. They bring value by sharing their advice and approach. Mentees can obtain practical examples that will help them to reach success. Another benefit of this mentor-type is to learn about the consequences of having this role and what happens when one arrives at the desired career destination.

The Connector. This type of mentor focuses on making connections and networking. The Connector serves as a guide to broaden the mentee's network, open doors, and provide warm introductions. This type of mentor helps a mentee to establish credibility. Additionally, the Connector also enhances networking skills that are so important in the professional world.

The Librarian. It's a fair assumption based on the name; this mentor-type helps a mentee to expand knowledge. They draw one's attention to what is relevant right now, support exposure to new ideas, and challenges one's perspectives. The purpose of such mentorship relationships is to broaden viewpoints through books as well as experiences of others. 

The Teammate. The Teammate is not a typical type of mentor; however, an important one. The Teammate is someone within our action network that provides direct assistance, support and acts as a sounding board and a cheerleader. The Teammate helps get things done, explores tactical problems, and offers their perspectives from an individual's viewpoint familiar with the situation. 

One persona can combine different mentor types, and we recommend being very open with your mentor about your goals from the beginning. Open dialogue with your mentor will help both of you make the most out of the mentorship. Don't just try to find time for your mentorship relationships; make time for it. Our advice is to think about a mentor as a group of individuals. Consider people you respect and whose opinion you value as potential formal and informal mentors. Developing longstanding relationships with individuals you trust will help to lead you through different stages of your career.

Did you know that PMI Durham Highlands Chapter offers two mentorship sessions a year? This well-structured program leads to mentees and mentors through the mentorship journey and facilitates goal identification and lessons learned. You can read more about PMI Durham Highlands' mentorship program at https://pmi-dhc.ca/Mentorship_Programs.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to share your experience, feel free to post a comment below or contact me directly at [email protected].

—Olga Minikh

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