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Proteges
benefit when they lead the mentoring relationship.
Paula
Moscinski
As a protege,
you realize the value of a mentor in helping you develop your career.
A mentor can offer you expertise, experience, and guidance; however, it's
up to you to create the desired outcome of your mentoring experience.
Imagine yourself at the helm of a boat-you are the captain, and your mentor
is holding the rudder, steering the ship in the direction you want it
to go. Following are ways to help you take charge and get the most out
of your mentoring experience.
Set the
Course
To get what you need from the mentoring experience, begin by asking yourself:
- What opportunities
can my mentoring experience give me?
- What do
I want to take away from this experience?
- What will
be different for me as a result of this experience?
Answering
these questions will help you construct the big picture of what you want
to gain so you can establish the focus and direction of your mentoring
experience. Once you understand what it is you wish to get out of the
relationship, you must create development objectives. What is it that
you want to get better at, learn more of, gain experience in? To help
you determine your objectives, consider the following:
- What image
do you wish to project in the organization?
- What intellectual
capital do you possess that you want the organization to tap into? What
do you want to learn from the organization?
- What talents
do you want to utilize during your mentoring experience that you may
not be able to use in your current position?
- What is
your approach to solving problems, tackling projects, and working with
people? Where do you need to modify your approach?
Your development
objectives serve as a blueprint for you and your mentor as well as a strategic
approach to your professional development.
Move the
Relationship Forward
Your responsibilities as a protege do not end with the creation of your
development objectives; you need to keep the relationship moving forward.
The focus should be on the successful achievement of your goals. Therefore,
you must play an active role in creating an effective mentoring relationship
by taking on the following responsibilities:
- Initiate
periodic meetings with your mentor and prepare an agenda.
- Come to
mentoring meetings ready to share positive experiences that moved you
closer to achieving your goals as well as experiences that set you back.
- Solicit
feedback from your mentor on what he or she is observing in you.
- With your
mentor, assess your progress, identify setbacks, and determine next
steps.
Much of what
you get out of your mentoring experience depends on your willingness to
learn, to be open and honest, and to ask for what you need. If what you're
getting from the relationship is not helping you to meet your objectives,
your mentor needs to know so the appropriate adjustments can be made.
Finally,
making the most of your mentoring experience means putting your accent
on the relationship. Identify the distinguishing features for your mentoring
relationship and work with your mentor to cultivate them. For example,
do you want the relationship to encourage open and frank conversations,
promote out-of-the box thinking, or provide a climate in which to generate
new perspectives? Also, share with your mentor how you best learn and
what you bring to the mentoring experience in terms of your commitment
to make a contribution to the organization and to your professional growth.
Paula
Moscinski is a senior consultant at Perrone-Ambrose Associates, Inc.
Perrone-Ambrose
Associates, Inc.
2 N. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 1433
Chicago, IL 60606
(800) 648-0543
From Healthcare
Executive, July/August 2002
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