A walk through mentoring

We have all benefited from mentoring in one way or another. It may have been a sibling at home, a teacher, or a colleague showing us the ropes. In adult life, headstrong, we often forget the impact mentorship can play on our development. We yearn for financial success and mental peace, and even when we look for these in the right places, we can bring the wrong approach. Trial-&-error is a hustle; a new perspective on mentoring can serve you well in the future. 

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a relationship between two people with the goal of professional and personal development. The “mentor” is usually an experienced individual who shares knowledge, experience, and advice with a less experienced person, or “mentee.” The age difference is irrelevant as long as the mentor brings with them an area of expertise. 

Why is their role important?

In our world, knowledge does not move via osmosis. Learning a skill like success, for instance, is an active process. It’s why you read self-help books or spend hours on video tutorials. The role of the mentor is to increase the likelihood that learning takes place. Most successful people in varying professions have a mentor – do you?

Perhaps what you have to ask yourself is: 

Is there a Nelson Mandela without Walter Sisulu? Arnold Schwarzenegger without Joe Weider, or even a Fresh Prince without an Uncle Phil. The list could go on. These are vastly talented individuals whose potential was realised through the aid of a mentor. 

“Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

The pros of mentorship for the average employee

Researchers analyzed 43 studies comparing the various career outcomes of employees who had mentors against those who did not. Compared to non-mentored employees, mentored employees:

• Feel more committed to their career
• Show a higher trend of receiving promotions
• Feel more satisfied with their career
• Believe that they will advance in their career
• Receive higher compensation

Finding a mentor or life coach can be challenging since you do not come across individuals in your fields of interest often. Given their success, it is also difficult to have them allocate time for your growth. Conrati has made this process easier by finding and onboarding experts in various professions, both locally and abroad. Now you can search for them, vet them, and book a mentor that focuses on the area you want to focus on.

Success is attainable with the right guidance. We may not define it in the same way, but our desires are very similar. The commonalities in our ambitions are why mentorship is such an efficient avenue to achieving excellence. Walk confidently towards your purpose, besides it makes more sense to navigate with a compass.