Perhaps one of
the most valuable benefits offered by being involved with a mentor is the
opportunity to learn pragmatic tips and techniques that can help you do your
job better. Certainly, anyone entering
into a mentoring relationship does so hoping to improve personally and
professionally. Long-term goals,
five-year plans, and skills and career development goals all tend to find their
way into action plans that help define the bigger learning needs. But what about the microlearning needs?
Examining every
aspect of your program goals helps shape your plans for navigating a mentoring
partnership throughout the program’s course. Addressing these elements helps you identify topics of conversation and
potential activities to help you attain your longer-term goals. But wouldn’t it be great to be able to take something back with you from each
meeting? Something that you can
immediately apply to your job. Some of
that just-in-time learning that helps solve a current need so you can be more
productive, or more effective at completing your current tasks. Discover the not-so-big-secret by simply
paying attention to your day-to-day tasks, and work small bits into your
short-term plans:
Create a meeting agenda. Your agenda should be a staple element of
each meeting with your mentor. When you
work on your agenda, include time for discussion on your overall goals, status
or follow-up on your current activities, and a little time devoted to
strengthening your partnership connection.
Now, add a few
minutes to mine one small nugget of knowledge from your mentor; something that
you can take back to the desk, field, or customer site simply by considering
the things you do day-to-day.
Focus on one skill you can take back to
your job. Think of the "little”
things that you do on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. Using MS Excel to track progress or calculate
project costs, for example. Was there
some issue you were having with creating a more effective formula or approach
to completing tasks there? Examples of
how to improve skills with software tools are endless; and you don’t always
need to take a full-fledged class to make gains. Many mentors have skills with a variety of
software tools that you are currently using; you could benefit from their
experience.
The
possibilities extend well beyond software tools. Many occupations require the use and
application of hardware or technology, some involve developing skills for
customer interaction, and every job benefits from improving communication
skills. Almost everyone can think of a
situation they’ve been in where they wondered, "How do I ask this person
something about what I need in the best way possible?” For example, "What’s the best way to ask my
supervisor for more responsibility.” "Better
feedback on how I am doing.” Or "Help with a troublesome task.”
Ask your mentor for advice. Asking for help with something that might
seem trivial to you is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of ability or
motivation. Certainly, you can do the
homework and figure out many issues on your own. But sooner or later, everyone runs into a
snag that can be simply resolved by asking someone else for their
thoughts. In the end, a little insight
often helps resolve a smaller issue that might be holding you back from taking
the next step toward a bigger goal, or it might just help you simplify a common
task and make your day go just a little bit smoother.
ASK A MENTOR
How
can your mentor provide you with tips, tools, or new techniques that you can
bring back to your job? Work this mining
task into your early meetings and you will find that the questions can lead to
ideas for short- and long-term elements in your mentoring plans.
Tell
your mentor about yourself first; it provides a reference of understanding for
your questions.
·
Tell your mentor about your job; the hardware,
software, and other tools that you use regularly.
·
Perhaps an issue might lie in a tool you use
less frequently.
·
Talk about your professional interactions.
Ask
your mentors about their experiences with the tools you use frequently or
infrequently.
·
What shortcuts might they know?
·
Do they have a tool preference for completing a
specific task? Why?
·
Are there other options, technologies that you
might not being thinking about that they would suggest you look into?
·
Maybe they know someone who knows.
Ask
about their experiences in your particular job; perhaps they remember a few
little things that used to hold them back.
·
How to improve communication skills for a
specific issue or upcoming need.
·
What resources might be available so you can dig
a little deeper into a specific topic or issue on your own?
When
looking for opportunities to discover the smaller tips and tricks that can help
you in your professional (or even personal) life, try to focus on a specific
task or topic. If something is going to
require multiple meetings, extended research and follow-up, or will require
time to develop a skill, put those into your long-term basket.
Finally,
always remember to ask, "Is there something you are missing, just not thinking
about, that they might think could help you get past your snag?” Sometimes, you just don’t know what you don’t
know, and that simple question can provide the next step to learning more, one
way or another.
