Need a mentor? Most of us do. Here is what mine have taught me thus far.
There are some key pieces of advice that I have received from mentors, friends, and even strangers over the years which I wanted to share with anyone who wishes they had more time with their manager or a mentor to guide them through today’s choppy career waters.
Firstly, consistency is key.
1-You will be judged on the merit of your work. So each time you write a report, turn up at a meeting or even reply to an email, be consistently on top of your work and sharp in your communication.
2- You will be judged on the merit of your last piece of work.This leads on from the first but is a truism some of us forget. We can’t rest on the laurels of our last success, you need to continue to demonstrate high quality in your work and presentation. In doing so, you will demonstrate to your manager that you are a safe pair of hands, but you are continuing to grow and develop.
3- Results matter, so mark yourself. It’s a reality of life and it’s much better to be driven internally by the desire for the results and goals you set than being driven by others. Now hopefully your internal drive and goals should align with your workplace otherwise you might want to think of making a shift.
Make yourself available
1- Being available means you are open to learn new things, meet new people and try new experiences. If you get so locked into your picture perfect ideal career you might miss the best opportunities in front of you. I had dreamt of doing a posting in Paris, but instead was sent to Tokyo. And I LOVED IT!!
2- Give to others freely. This one isn’t something my mentors have explicitly said but they’ve shown it with their actions. They have allowed me to walk through their door and ask them for advice. I always want to be a person like that.
3- Don’t turn down work. Say yes as often as you can. This is very much what Sheryl Sandberg is getting at with her Lean In book. Obviously you have to gauge your own capacity but stretch exercises are good. Just because something doesn’t seem within your capabilities now, say yes and let it stretch you. This is tough, particularly for a lot of females. There is a reason your manager asked you to do that task, don’t doubt their trust in you.
Put on your big girl/boy pants
1- Confidence is absolutely key to anything and everything. Putting your hand up and volunteering for something that is beyond your comfort zone is a good stretch exercise. Learn to train yourself to put on your big girl or boy pants (i.e. not your scardy pants).
2- Don’t take everything people say about you too seriously. You will get all kinds of conflicting feedback and advice from people. I know I have over the years. Just pick yourself back up and move on. Sometimes a person’s feedback is more of a reflection on them than it is on you.
3- If you get some harsh or constructive feedback, don’t let it knock your confidence. No matter what the intention is behind the person’s words, or even how poorly it was delivered, let it sharpen you and not scare you off. The smartest people in the world have often been misunderstood, mislabeled, accused and looked at with distrust. However, you can take the 10% of truth from that feedback and sift it and use it to change some of your actions and behaviour and make you stronger. You don’t need to adopt the rest of the 90% of feedback which may be a waste of time and off the mark.
Lastly, a point I haven’t heard from others but have been learning it deeply. Get to know yourself well. Take time to study and reflect on who you are, what matters to you, what makes you tick and what bores you. By doing that, you will be listening more to that inner voice which can be a strong guide for you in your career.