Mentorship – Why it is important

This week we are diving into mentorship. Being a mentee or a mentor is a term thrown around a lot in the military and I wanted to dive in and learn more about how to build mentee-mentor relationships. My guest this week is Sabrina Dalton. She is the Deputy Executive Director for Military Mentors (MM). She shares about the science and art of mentorship while also giving helpful tips to help both those looking for a mentor and those who want to be mentors.

Mentorship – Why it is important

There is a lot of information and ideas about mentorship and what it is. One of the most common misunderstandings when it comes to mentorship is how people often relate feedback and think it is the same thing as having a mentor. And while feedback is important and valuable it is not a mentor relationship. Instead, mentorship is formed through relationship. Where both the mentee and the mentor are having a conversation providing feedback and advice might be part of the conversation but it is also based on a long term relationship that is a minimum of six months.

The Art and Science

Buzz words like coaching or career counselor can lead people to believe those words mean the same thing as having a mentor. But in coaching you are getting direction through your coach pulling out what you want to do. It is often directed by questions and perception to either body language or tone to help the coach help you discover what you need to know. Coaching is not telling someone what to do. Being a mentor is more transactional and is a conversation rather than a question fact finding mission. And instead of asking questions you share experiences from your own life that the mentee can use in their current life experience.

Mentors do not have to be work focused

Often times getting a mentor is focused around work. And while it is important to have mentors that can help you in your career they are just one area of your life where you can find support.

How do I find a mentor or mentee

If you are looking for advice in a certain situation you should know what you are looking for. Sabrina gave a great example in the interview. Her husband was looking for advice for his career. And while he could have found any officer higher ranking. He thought about what was important to him. He knew that he wanted someone who also prioritized family. Knowing that their advice in navigating a career with family was important to him and to them. Had he found someone who either didn’t priories their family or didn’t have a family the advice would probably not be as valuable as finding someone who lines up with their personal goal.

For people interested in mentoring. Show up and be available. Show that you care about the people you want to mentor. If there is a group that meets find out if you can attend or speak. See what ways you can be helpful on a general scale and build relationships with those who you would like to mentor.

Want to learn more about Military Mentors and the work they are doing? Head over to website, https://linktr.ee/milmentors, to learn more.

 

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