Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

What is a Mentoring Relationship?

Mentoring is an influential professional development tool. It is an effective way to progress your career. It is a partnership between two people (mentor and mentee) usually in a similar career field or at least similar experiences (such as entrepreneurship or leadership role.)

A mentor is a guide who can help the mentee find the right direction and develop solutions to career issues. Mentors had similar experiences and will have empathy with you, an understanding of your situation. Mentoring provides you access to greater career options you might otherwise have missed.

Having a mentor is a winning move plain and simple. It actually comes down to choice. You choose whether or not you want a mentor, then choose the mentor you want.

“…you will, therefore oblige me greatly if you will kindly direct and guide me and make necessary suggestions which shall be received as from a father to his child.”

These are the words written by Ghandi to a man named Dadabhai Naoroji, a local leader who helped start the Indian Independence Movement from Britain. Upon learning of Naoroji’s intentions, Gandhi was eager to join the effort. In 1888, he wrote Naoroji the letter, a portion of which is captured above. Naoroji took Gandhi under his wing and instilled in him lessons that would ultimately change the world.

Proverbs 1:5 " A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel."

Famous Mentoring Examples

This is as trustworthy as all of God’s word: A man or woman of understanding will seek out mentorship. You may have already experienced it yourself, at some level, without formality. That’s good. However, there is something better. That is a formal mentor/mentee relationship. Here are a few examples from recent and ancient history:

How to Ask a Mentor

Many people look forward to being a mentor and are only waiting to be asked. Identify someone who has a skill set you admire, a job you would like to have or a strength you would like to develop. Go to them and share both your respect and your request.

Be ready to describe your goals and define what you want from the relationship. Confirm the best way to communicate (phone, Skype, in person, email etc.), and then set a frequency. Make sure to meet no less than once per month (for an hour) or 15 minutes weekly. Connecting once every three months won’t be much of a connection.

Once you have the mentor relationship in place, please drop me a line and let me know all about hit.

Shawn Sommerkamp is a motivational speaker and Executive Coach with 20+ years of Fortune 100 leadership experience. He founded Motivationeer™ to coach Christian professionals how to use their career to glorify God and support local church growth.