What Entrepreneurs Should Keep in Mind While Choosing Mentors

Having a mentor to guide you and offer you valuable advice based on their knowledge and experiences can be life-changing. Especially if you're an entrepreneur with your own business or startup, signing up for a mentorship program can teach you all the skills you need to advance in your career. 

Since the relationship mentees share with their mentors is quite special and impactful, it is essential that you carefully choose your mentor. Keep in mind that this is someone who is about to guide you through your career and someone you will always look up to. On that note, we outline some important points that entrepreneurs have to keep in mind while choosing mentors. 

• Know exactly what you want to learn from the experience

Before you sign yourself up for any mentorship program, you need to know exactly what you want to take away from the experience. What skills and qualities do you wish to learn from your mentor? What is your end goal with the mentorship program? Knowing your current needs is crucial in order to choose the ideal mentor for you.

Besides, the same mentor who is perfect for you today may not be ideal for you in the next three years, which is why it is important that you know what you want to learn from a mentor. 

• Evaluate your potential mentor’s profile 

Before making your choice, carefully evaluate your potential mentor’s profile. Make sure you know what their work style is, what their defining qualities are, what their values are, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. You need to consider if these match with yours. 

Of course, it may not always be possible to find a mentor with whom you share the exact same principles, values, and beliefs. And often times, it may not even be the smartest choice to select a mentor like this since he/she might fail to challenge you. What's important is that both of you do not clash with each other and you both know when either of you should compromise so that your distinct personalities complement one another instead. 

• Do they challenge you to be better?

As mentioned before, a mentor whom you share way too many similarities with may not always be the best choice due to the possibility that they could fail to challenge you. Before you decide on a mentor, you need to ensure that this person has those qualities that you admire and aspire to develop too. This means that they challenge you to improve and grow in your career as well as your personal life. 

• Make sure they are aware of your expectations 

Before you enter a mentorship program, you will obviously have expectations from the experience. This may include your goals, the qualities and skills you want to develop, how much time you can dedicate to the program, how often you are willing to meet with your mentor, and which platform (email, phone call, video call, or face to face) is suited for interactions. Make sure that your mentor is well aware of all these expectations.

• Are they comfortable using mentoring software?

Today, cloud-based mentoring software like MentorCloud have aided multiple organizations in offering successful mentorship program. The benefits of mentoring software are long, and it is important that your mentor is aware of these. If a mentor is comfortable using mentoring software, then the experience would be a lot easier for both parties involved.

A mentor is someone you look up to and a person you can trust and put your faith in. Remember to choose one with the knowledge of what a huge role they play in your life.