More than ever, mentoring is becoming a vital aspect of career and professional development. Organizations, businesses, and individuals are seeing enormous value in these formal and informal exchanges. It’s only right that networking merges with mentoring to create better connections, meaningful relationships, and stronger networks.
Listed below are ways you can use your networking goals to cultivate mentoring relationships.
Half Full / Half Empty
Whether the tutoring is formal or informal, you get what you put into it. View the experience in a positive light and earn exceptional rewards and benefits. See it as a “must” do or must and you will miss the point. In other words, get in touch with goals and a plan for productivity and success. Be committed to the initiative and active in their correspondences. Show good faith, credibility and trust.
reverse roles
Today, individuals and organizations are redefining the roles of mentors. Seasoned professionals are being mentored by their younger counterparts in non-traditional situations. Especially within the millennial generation, seasoned professionals are learning more about technology, social media, and various aspects of marketing when it comes to networking and development.
end in mind
It’s true, all good things come to an end. The mentoring relationship may not last forever. Make sure you have a timeline or period of time in which you expect to complete the mentor exchange. Be open-minded about transitioning your mentor/network experience into a colleague, client/client, or even a sponsor relationship.
Hopefully, these tips and advice can lay a solid foundation for productive networking and relationship building. The keys are to have an open, receptive and goal-oriented mind to obtain the most optimal results.