Having mentors who have succeeded where you hope to succeed is critical to your success. Much of what motivates mentors to spend time with those coming after them is the desire to see others have an easier time–and to make a positive impact on someone's life.
Here are some ways to show your mentor that you appreciate their willingness to advise you. The best mentorees…
- Are on time and do what they say they will do
- Are honest—no need for posturing
- Come to calls or meetings with their mentor prepared with specific questions and timely challenges
- Think before they speak (never say…I’m just going to think out loud here…)
- Ask questions: the mentor isn't expecting advice from you, generally speaking
- Ask specific questions (not “is there anything I
should be doing differently” or “what do you think of my proposal?") - Show specific examples (written work—emails,
proposals) - Communicate results from the advice they've received–what has worked? what hasn't?
Most importantly, the best mentorees success and failure should be giving back NOW.
Who are you mentoring? How
are you helping others to avoid your pitfalls? There's always someone who doesn't yet know what you know. Find those people and see how you can help them. It's just Karma.
