Mentors are important for any professional who wants to advance his or her career. That’s why we’ve made one-to-one coaching a central part of our Chicago On-site developmental approach. Finding the right mentor is obviously a key first step, so we focus on a few concepts that help our team members get the most out of their coaching relationships.
The first thing a mentee has to do is make sure he or she is ready to accept feedback from someone else. Around the Chicago On-site office, we know that anyone who expects to get maximum value from a mentoring dynamic has to be open to learning and applying constructive criticism. There’s also the practical matter of having enough time to devote to the relationship. This goes both ways, of course, with each party putting in the time and effort to achieve worthwhile results.
Those who want to learn from mentors must also have clear goals in mind before they begin their knowledge transfer arrangements. When it comes to learning from a career coach, it’s helpful to know what you want and your motivation for accomplishing it. The question of how to go about achieving it is what you need help with, and where a mentor is most likely to offer game-changing assistance.
We keep these concepts in mind as we refine our mentorship approach. Follow Chicago On-site on Instagram to get more of our best tips for effective coaching.