We all need a mentor at some point. But why? Why do we need a mentor and how do they impact our decisions? If you’re looking for the answers, you are in the right place.
Mentors are not someone with a suit and tie, with a notepad in their hands noting carefully each and every word. No, they are not called doctors.
You never know in your daily life who can turn out to be your mentor. You need to pay close attention too and be willing to be more open.
A mentor can be our senior in office or a family member, parents, siblings, teacher, anyone can be your mentor.
Your mentor is,
Someone who is your friend.
Someone who you see as your Role Model.
Someone you can trust.
Someone who listens to you.
A person who understands your point of view and does not go against it.
Someone who can make you understand what is Right and Wrong .
Someone who supports you.
Do not confuse your mentor as your coach. Many people assume a coach and a mentor are the same things. But it is not.
A mentor is someone with whom we build a long-term relationship. It is not someone we go only when we have an issue, he/she is with us personally as well as professionally.
Whereas coaching is more professional-based, a coach helps you to improve in what you’re currently doing he/she is a guide for you in that particular field. Coaching is more specific and task-oriented.
Who should you seek advice from? Is sharing your problems will be safe with that person? Will that person be interested in helping and guiding you through? And the most important question is: What type of mentor should you look for when you’re facing problems?
Building a relationship with a mentor is the most important element. Unless and until you do not connect with the person, you will not be open enough to share details.
It's a famous saying about an older person—the more grey hair they have, the more experienced they are and understand better than younger ones.
That is all. But the rise of mentorships is reversed now.
Here are some types of mentors you can look for:
Traditional Mentor: A senior or an older person who has more experience than you do.
Reverse Mentor: Someone who is of same age as you, who can relate to you and exchange understanding and knowledge.
Peer Mentor: A peer mentor is a co-worker or a colleague who holds and shares some responsibilities as you do.
Aspirational mentor: An aspirational mentor is someone you aspire to have in your life, someone who you look for. To follow those people’s steps and try to achieve your goal.
Practical Mentor: A practical mentor is someone who can give you real-life based advice, solve your problems, guide you with ideas and tactics.
Coping Mentor: Coping mentors are great listeners. They can help you to relieve your stress and fears.
Identity Mentor: An identity mentor is someone who you look for who fits in the same community who understands you and has known you for a long time (parents, siblings, friends).
It is common to have more than one mentor, which is important to be open and avoid communication gaps, which can help you to tackle your problems in an effective and positive way.
There are so many reasons a mentor can make a huge difference in a person’s life,
Help you to dodge a bullet.
We all need that go-to person in our life. Mentors help to solve problems not only by giving advice but also by setting an example for a person.
Answering your own questions and finding a way through it is what mentors do. They prefer making that person aware of the situation and consequences and let them take the decisions is what mentors do.
Sometimes not giving advice and asking the right questions helps us subconsciously to be more alert of our actions and also helps us to solve our own problems.
A mentor helps the person grow with their own way of thinking and not depending on the mentor completely.
Help in enhancing.
The mentor knows and understands what are your weak points and what are your strengths over time. They help you to improve in the area where you lack and bring out the best version of yourself.
Mentoring can help a person to be more aware and supportive through a period.
Effective mentoring develops a person to be more agile and encouraged to work and solve their own problems.
Improvement is one of the main difference mentors helps in people's lives, whether it is to improve personally or professionally.
Relief your mental state.
In the world of self-isolation and lockdown, there so many challenges in personal as well as professional lives.
A mentor is somebody who helps to support, guide and cheer a person.
There are so many people who suffer from mental health and do not find a way to express their feeling due to lack of trust or the assumption no one will understand them. During such a stage, a mentor can bring a huge difference in a person's life.
A mentor helps with, Reducing stress, Cope with anxiety, Listening and understanding the person’s point of view, Guiding them through the solution, Empowering them mentally.
Their experience is your goldmine.
We often say or here, 'I wish I knew this before taking any step,’
Traditional mentors in a person’s life, whether it is for a personal reason or a professional one, can help you to learn so much about where to take action when to control our reaction, what are the alternatives to the problem and so much more.
Mentor be entirely honest with you. There can be certain issues where your mentor can identify and solve before you do.
Learning from mentor experience is one of the best benefits of having a mentor in people’s life, by learning from their past experience you can avoid big problems in your life. They can guide you through with the exact feelings and consequences they faced when they were standing in your place.
Care & Support.
A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you." — Bob Proctor
Sometimes apart from your career goal or a task, you just need support and care.
A mentor helps to provide space where you can feel listened to and supported.
Having space where you can freely talk without feeling judged and be positive. This is what a comfortable space is for many people.
It is not often in people’s life to develop that comfort in the office, many do not have a family. That is when having a mentor impacts your lives.
The mentor can be really caring and supportive.
Boost self-confidence.
An increase in self-confidence helps you to be more open towards challenges. Learn to take responsibility for our own actions, take responsibility, use critical thinking, which helps to boost your confidence.
These factors naturally help a person to boost their confidence.
Mentoring relationships help to grow and explore the uncertainty.
Having a mentor in a person's life does not mean feeding you a spoon with every problem. They are just there to help you uplift your own hidden qualities. Mentors are around not only during failures but also in your success.