How to Cultivate the Best Mentors
By: Michael Massari
Tags: Career Advice, Mentorship, Leadership, Networking, Advice

How to Cultivate the Best Mentors

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon and Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy filming during an episode of 30 Rock in October of 2010. Photo by Ali Goldstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question “How do you find a mentor?” is by Michael Massari, senior vice president of national meetings and events for Caesars Entertainment.

Having a mentor can provide countless advantages, such as guidance in reaching your goals, a unique perspective to help solve a problem, or encouragement when challenges arise. Before you begin the process of finding a mentor, it is important to identify what you want out of the relationship. This will allow you to pinpoint the qualities and qualifications to look for and help your prospective mentors determine how they can assist you in reaching your goals.

Here are a few tips for finding the right mentor:

Build your network first

If you are a young graduate or junior-level employee, make a list of leaders within your company or industry that possess qualities and knowledge that you desire. Instead of directly asking one of these leaders to be your mentor, get on their radar. Find ways to provide assistance or knowledge. Demonstrate your commitment to helping them and grow the relationship so that it is mutually beneficial before you begin to ask for guidance. If you do this right, you won’t need to ask anyone to be your mentor; it will just happen organically.

Establish a genuine connection

After you have identified a few leaders as potential mentors, make sure that you possess a genuine connection with them. This means being comfortable spending formal and informal time with your mentor. The formal time is in the workplace, where you show that you can deliver on a professional level. The informal time is over lunch or coffee, when you’re able to discuss your goals and ambitions. A great mentor can last your entire career, so it’s key that the leader you choose is someone you truly look up to and with whom you can communicate honestly.

Many make the mistake of choosing a mentor solely based on the position they hold. Your mentor must be someone you look up to because of their personal and professional insight, rather than their job title.

Find more than one

While some may believe your goal should be to have one solid mentor, I think it’s important to have many. By having various mentors, you’ll always have a group of people able to provide you with unique perspectives and diverse opinions when different problems arise.

If possible, try to expand your circle of mentors beyond your own industry. By having a group of advisers with diverse backgrounds and skillsets, you will always have a go-to person to consult no matter the situation. For example, I am not a finance professional, but it is crucial for my work that I have knowledge of the subject. For that reason, I have a mentor in the financial field who I am able to consult for those specific matters. By expanding my group of mentors beyond my own industry, I am better equipped to tackle any challenge that may arise.

I’ve learned through personal experience that while a great mentor is not always easy to find, the advocacy, honesty, and advice you will gain greatly outweigh the time spent finding one.

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