When advancing in our career or moving forward in business development, the need for a competitive edge arises. One tool that can be used to give that edge is mentorship. Learning from someone who has already been there, comes with advantages. You can bypass simple mistakes or learn more advanced techniques to get things done from a mentor. In 2019, an Olivet Nazarene University survey found that 76% of people think mentors are important, but only 37% of people currently have a mentor. This study found the vast majority of these mentor-mentee relationships are informal and happen naturally as opposed to asking someone to be a mentor. The Block connected with three professionals in the philanthropy, development, and art fields to learn the best approaches to take when forming a mentor-mentee relationship.
Tips from Charles Thomas
Charles Thomas is an important voice in the philanthropy conversations happening around Charlotte. He is currently the Charlotte program director for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. In Charlotte, the work of the Knight Foundation is focused on helping the Historic West End (e.i. West Charlotte) become an inclusive and thriving residential, commercial, and university corridor.
Before working for the Knight Foundation, Thomas was the executive director of Queen City Forward, a business incubator for social entrepreneurs. In this role, he often set-up mentorship relationships between emerging social entrepreneurs and established business contacts.
Thomas saw the value of mentorship from a young age. He often sought to build relationships with role models during his time growing up, but he never had a formal mentor. He found the value in building informal mentorships to gain advice from wise people. Once he stepped into the world of philanthropy and social entrepreneurship, he built formal pathways to mentorships for others. He continues to be that mentor matchmaker at the Knight Foundation.
He has found several guidelines that work to build strong mentor-mentee relationships.
See mentorships as a shortcut. You can learn from the people that have already been through what you are about to go through. You can avoid the mistakes they made. You can bypass dead end pathways all together, because you have someone that has taken that path already and they will guide you along the way.
Know that mentorship expands your network. Mentorship expands your social circle. Your mentor can introduce you to people that can influence the direction of your career. Mentors can connect you to people you would not have otherwise had a link to. Mentorship increases your social capital.
Informal mentors are just as important as formal mentors. You will not always have mentors that label themselves as such. You may be surrounded by people with more experience than you, that are willing to share advice. These people become your mentors without having the title. These relationships are just as important as those with people that step into the role as mentor through a structured program.
Turn a negative relationship into a positive mentorship. You can find quality mentors in unexpected places. Thomas has often developed valuable relationships with people who are seen as difficult to work with, or work for. When Thomas asked himself if he was being harmed by the relationship and what he could learn from this seemingly difficult person, he found a mentorship relationship that added insights to his life that he might have otherwise missed.
Be a good listener. During a mentorship someone is giving their time to share knowledge. To show respect and get the most out of the relationship, you should be an active listener.
Show gratitude. This mentorship relationship requires a person sharing their time with another. Showing that you are grateful for their time goes a long way.
Know one day you will be a mentor. Once you learn and grow, it is important to pass your insights on to the next generation.
Tips from Joseph Butler
Joseph Butler is a dynamic fundraiser that has been in the development space for over 21 years. He is currently an independent fundraising consultant and has worked in the mentorship space in the past. He worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas as the senior director of community development. The organization focuses on providing children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better.
Butler has served as a mentor for children, adolescents, and adults throughout the years. From his time in the mentorship space, he has found several guidelines that build good mentorship relationships.
Must have commitment and consistency. For a mentorship to work, both parties must be committed to meeting and sharing information with one another on a regular basis. If you cannot stick with it, you may want to wait until you are able to fully commit.
Let the relationship develop authentically. With mentor-mentee relationships, it is important to not rush it. Trying to swiftly establish trust just doesn’t work. It will come over time as you both warm up to one another.
As a mentor, give information freely. When in the role of the mentor, it is important to not have expectations for the relationship. It is your role to share your knowledge freely to help your mentee grow.
Tips from Jonell Logan
Jonell Logan is a mover and shaker in Charlotte’s arts community. She is the executive director of the League of Creative Interventionist, and she is also the founder and chief consultant for 300 Arts Projects.
Mentorship led her to find her way in the art world. Her first art mentor came into her life when she was young. Logan explained, “My aunt was my first mentor. She was a painter and she worked a 9 to 5 too. She would always encourage me to be creative, to paint, and to write. She would also take me to work with her so I could see what options were in the world. In addition to that, she would take me to the museums and broadway productions.” Once in high school she took an internship at the Metropolitan Museum and met her next art mentor. It was here where she learned what it meant to be in a cultural space and to do education in museums.
From high school until now, Logan has had several mentor-mentee relationships. Those relationships reinforced her personal philosophy about access, education, culture, and the arts. Without those mentorship relationships she would not be in the arts and culture space right now. Throughout her time learning from others she has learned a few lessons about building a mentorship relationship.
Be willing to do the work. When connecting with a mentor, if they ask you to do work, be ready to get it done. They are taking you through tasks that will serve as a guide for you in future work. Doing what is asked will bring new insights too.
Find the best method of communication. Understanding how you both prefer to communicate is helpful. Texting may be more convenient for one person, while the other prefers phone calls. Figuring out how to manage this in the beginning is important.
Know what you hope to achieve. Set goals at the beginning to benefit both the mentor and mentee. This will allow the mentor to determine how they can best help their mentee. It will also allow the mentee to determine what they plan to get out of the relationship.
Let down your barriers. A mentor has come on board to assist you in growing as a person. In order to make this growth happen, you have to be open to it. You have to be open to feedback. You have to be open to trying new methods. You have to be open to sharing information.
Ask questions. The mentor is there to advise, so don’t be afraid to ask questions of them. The more questions you ask, the more opportunities you have to learn.
Learn to take feedback. Mentors are going to give you advice, and they are going to critique what you do so you can get better at whatever you are trying to accomplish. Being open to the feedback that you get will be a valuable asset in helping you grow.
Mentors are all around you. You can find mentors in your family. You can talk to professors to help set you up with mentors in the community. Your friends may have great contacts that they can set you up with. You can also research the industry you want to be in and find those making an impact in the space. You can ask those people to develop a mentorship relationship with you, but don’t take getting a no, personal. You don’t know what they have going on in their life, but they are being honest and can not mentor you at that time. If you get a no, don’t let it stop you in your pursuit of finding a mentor.
Mentorship is an important part of developing your career. Now that you know some guidelines for developing and maintaining a mentorship relationship, go after them. You can develop informal mentor-mentee relationships using the tips you learned here. Or, you can find more formal mentorships in spaces like SCORE Charlotte. Remember, mentorship opportunities are all around you.
