Mentorship is an important part of the entrepreneurial journey. A good mentor gives direction, opens you up to new contacts, helps you develop ideas and points to potential pitfalls in your business strategy. But how do you find one? Here are 5 tips to start with;
HAVE CLEAR GOALS AND START WORKING ON THEM -
The first mistake people make when seeking mentors is we search for only popular business leaders as a first step. Ultimately, the first step for securing a mentor starts with clearly defining your business goals and then starting to create the building blocks to make them happen. Why? Mentors are usually impressed when they see you have already started to work towards ambitious business goals and are therefore more likely to want to partner with you on your journey.
DON’T RESTRICT YOURSELF TO ONLY PEOPLE YOU KNOW -
Again, seeking only popular mentors can restrict your mentorship process. While there is nothing wrong with aiming for a Tara Fela-Durotoye, chances are she is receiving multiple mentorship requests and is super busy. Use LinkedIn and other social media tools to find mentors in your sector or supporting sectors. Also, while having Tara mentor you might be on your wish list, you don’t need to personally meet with her for her to mentor you. Reading books she has written or read, following the people she follows on Instagram, attending her seminars, reading or watching interviews she has given, is an excellent way to learn from ‘hard to reach or busy’ potential mentors.
FIND A GOOD FIT -
A good fit means a mentor that gets your business and the goals you want to achieve. Not every successful business person will have the same values, ethics and life worldview like you. That’s why the mentorship relationship should be one that grows organically, so you can both gauge each other.
LET THE RELATIONSHIP PROGRESS WITHOUT LABELS -
Meeting someone for the first or second time and asking them to mentor you can be awkward. Instead let the relationship evolve over time. Introduce yourself to them the first time, then keep in touch via emails or social media. Ask them questions, provide mutual value to them. For example, a potential mentor who has a good LinkedIn profile may not necessarily have a good Instagram following. Perhaps you can offer them tips. This way, you are both helping each other.
