From Andy Dennis of Coburg Consultants

 

As we move into a new experience, be it a new program or a new job, we always have questions.

What will the work be like? Will I have time for a social life? How much should I be getting paid? 

Finding the right person to ask these questions can be a challenge though – especially when the questions you want to ask, are the ones you feel uncomfortable asking.

Mentorship offers an answer to this problem.

A mentorship is a mutual agreement in which a more experienced professional agrees to lend their knowledge and experience to their mentee in a safe context. This allows the mentee to ask those difficult questions and access a perspective that would otherwise be inaccessible.

In the CRMBA program, mentorship takes several forms. The Alumni Mentorship program pairs a current student with an alumnus who is established in the corporate world. This relationship can provide mentees with valuable insight into a desired industry, advice on job-hunting, or specific technical knowledge.

For students entering the CRMBA program, the first-year/second-year mentorship program provides new students with a valuable resource for learning about what life is like as an MBA student.

So what makes a good mentor/mentee relationship?

Ian McAllister, a GM with Amazon, outlines several attributes of a successful mentor/mentee relationship:

Mutually understood goals

Both the mentor and the mentee can have goals, but make sure they are communicated early on.

Mentee-driven

The mentee should be the one initiating contact and having topics ready for discussion at meetings.

Bandwidth-appropriate

Mentors should only commit to a relationship if they actually have time to meet with their mentee. Conversely a mentee has to be respectful of the mentor’s time and have reasonable expectations around meetings.

A focus on approaches, not tactics

The real value for the mentee comes from learning how to think about a given issue rather than looking for a step-by-step guide on answering a problem

A focus on listening

A mentor/mentee isn’t a job interview. It’s important to avoid talking too much about your own experiences and learn form your mentor’s.

Transparency

Sometimes criticism is hard to take, but a mentor should be straightforward with their mentee. A mentor/mentee relationship should be a safe one and critical advice with guidance around improvement will only help the mentee grow.

For more information on the Rowe School of Business Alumni Mentorship please click here.