What are some good questions to ask a mentor?
Questions to Ask a Mentor
- What’s the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?
- How do you encourage innovative ideas?
- How would you describe your personal style?
- Do you have a mentor?
- What do you do to constantly challenge your underlying beliefs and assumptions?
What do you talk about in a mentor meeting?
In a mentoring meeting, it’s important to put an emphasis on learning about one another. Discuss personal and professional history in order to establish a common ground. You can also talk about topics centered around leadership, situational advice and skills.
What questions would you ask a leader?
To help you get started, here are 15 top questions to ask leaders you respect:
- Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?
- What is one decision you wish you didn’t make?
- How do you keep your team motivated despite conflicts and obstacles?
- What are the most important attributes of successful leaders today?
What do you say in your first mentoring session?
Talk about your professional background and current situation, and clearly state your desired focus for future conversations. Provide context to help your mentor understand you. Share your professional goals and, as relevant, your life situation.
How do you ask mentor for advice?
How to ask someone to mentor you
- Schedule an initial conversation.
- Clearly describe the guidance you’re seeking (The Ask).
- Confirm your willingness to do the necessary work and follow-through.
- Acknowledge and respect the individual’s time.
- Note: If you don’t hear from them, follow-up, but don’t hound him or her.
What are good advice questions?
8 things to ask when you want advice
- Thank you for taking the time to speak to me.
- How did your training help you prepare for your job?
- What are the character traits and skills which are really important in your job, for example, is having someone who is good at problem solving important?
Ask questions on these topics to get to know the mentor better and initiate a good conversation: Expertise, career development, self-improvement and building skills. You can ask specific advice on how to learn and develop a skill or for actionable tactics to help surmount a certain obstacle.
Do you have to have a relationship with your mentor?
In fact, according to Anthony K. Tjan, your relationship should come before your mentorship. Sometimes, mentorship can turn into more of a transaction than a real relationship. But if you’re merely checking a box, the mentorship won’t be successful. So start by getting to know your mentor better and showing an interest in them as a person.
Do you have to rehearse for your mentorship meeting?
While you need to prepare for your mentorship meeting, you don’t need to rehearse. Remember that ideally, your partnership is an authentic relationship and, therefore, should be nurtured like one. In fact, according to Anthony K. Tjan, your relationship should come before your mentorship.
Why is it important to research your mentor?
The reason it’s important to do research on your mentor beforehand is two-fold. Firstly, it’ll give you insight into their specific experience, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of what information they can provide that will be specifically beneficial to you.