{"id":4660,"date":"2017-09-27T15:31:59","date_gmt":"2017-09-27T12:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmkedev.wpengine.com\/?p=4660"},"modified":"2022-01-06T20:37:57","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T18:37:57","slug":"career-mentor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor","title":{"rendered":"How To Find The Right Career Mentor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A career mentor is an individual who holds your hand through the different stages of your career growth. This is someone who has more experience, knowledge or skills and is willing to guide another individual into the modalities of how things are done and how to grow their career.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d0c9ee67b26\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d0c9ee67b26\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#The_value_of_career_mentors\" >The value of career mentors<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#A_Mentor_Helps_You_Create_A_Strong_CV\" >A Mentor Helps You Create A Strong CV<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#A_Mentor_Can_Offer_Guidance_on_A_Project\" >A Mentor Can Offer Guidance on A Project<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Helps_You_Identify_Resources_and_Better_Ways_of_Managing_Tasks\" >Helps You Identify Resources and Better Ways of Managing Tasks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Helps_You_to_Professionally_Brand_Yourself\" >Helps You to Professionally Brand Yourself\u00a0 \u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Identify_What_You_Want\" >Identify What You Want<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Identify_Your_Potential_Mentor\" >Identify Your Potential Mentor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Reaching_Out_to_a_Potential_Mentor\" >Reaching Out to a Potential Mentor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Nurture_the_Relationship\" >Nurture the Relationship<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Effective_Mentoring_Styles_For_A_Leader\" >Effective Mentoring Styles For A Leader<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#How_to_be_an_Effective_Mentor\" >How to be an Effective Mentor<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Teach_and_Model\" >Teach and Model<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Sponsor_your_Mentee\" >Sponsor your Mentee<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Inspire_and_Motivate_them\" >Inspire and Motivate them<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Offer_Guidance_and_Counselling\" >Offer Guidance and Counselling<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Mentoring_Styles\" >Mentoring Styles<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Mentoring_by_Connecting\" >Mentoring by Connecting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Mentoring_by_Challenging\" >Mentoring by Challenging<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Mentoring_by_Educating\" >Mentoring by Educating<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Mentoring_by_Cheerleading\" >Mentoring by Cheerleading<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Mentoring_by_Ideating\" >Mentoring by Ideating<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/career-mentor\/#Case_Study_African_Leaders_Mentored_By_Marcus_Garvey\" >Case Study: African Leaders Mentored By Marcus Garvey<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_value_of_career_mentors\"><\/span>The value of career mentors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Mentor_Helps_You_Create_A_Strong_CV\"><\/span>A Mentor Helps You Create A Strong CV<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Your mentor most likely has wealth of experience in writing resumes. They have done it throughout their career and hence understand the intricacies of what is needed and what is irrelevant. A mentor will advise on what language to use on\u00a0<a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/cv-writing-tips-get-resume-read\">your CV<\/a>, how to format it, how to optimize it according to the role you are applying for.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Mentor_Can_Offer_Guidance_on_A_Project\"><\/span>A Mentor Can Offer Guidance on A Project<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Mentors offer valuable insights and input in projects and tasks assigned to you. Sometimes you may wonder what to do to ensure maximum success in a project. Talking to someone who has done a similar project before can be quite the<\/p>\n<p>Mentors offer valuable insights and input in projects and tasks assigned to you. Sometimes you may wonder what to do to ensure maximum success in a project. Talking to someone who has done a similar project before can be quite the<\/p>\n<p>Mentors offer valuable insights and input in projects and tasks assigned to you. Sometimes you may wonder what to do to ensure maximum success in a project. Talking to someone who has done a similar project before can be quite the eye-opener. They will help you see why doing it a certain way is better and guarantees more success. This way, you get to learn from their mistakes and improve on what they already succeeded in.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Helps_You_Identify_Resources_and_Better_Ways_of_Managing_Tasks\"><\/span>Helps You Identify Resources and Better Ways of Managing Tasks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Your mentor has tried and tested various ways of doing things. You do not have to learn the hard way. With a mentor, you have a springboard to start on and get propelled to further growth and career development.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Helps_You_to_Professionally_Brand_Yourself\"><\/span>Helps You to Professionally Brand Yourself\u00a0<strong> \u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A career mentor will help you identify your strengths and opportunities in a particular role and advice on how well to position yourself for growth in such a role or another, depending on your skill set, talents and passion. At the same time, a mentor provides access to their already established professional network. They can point you in the direction of someone in their connection pool, who can help you work on a particular skill. This way, your professional brand is created and continually polished.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mentorship - BrighterMonday\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xJD5F4et93c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The following are applicable tips that could help you find a career mentor.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Identify_What_You_Want\"><\/span>Identify What You Want<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Identify what you want to achieve. You do not expect to approach someone with a vague plan and hope they will be willing to take time out of their busy schedule to help you. Ideally, mentors are people who have succeeded in what they do. This means they are extremely busy people and will only give time to things that are likely to succeed. Mentees who seem to understand what they want are more attractive to mentors than those who still need time to figure themselves out. However, it is possible, especially for entry-level individuals to be confused and to not know what they want yet. If that is the case, approach a mentor with the several possibilities you would like to venture in for their guidance and advice.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Identify_Your_Potential_Mentor\"><\/span>Identify Your Potential Mentor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This embroils clarifying one\u2019s career needs and refining them to suit one\u2019s goals. The SMART approach may be a suitable tool to use. Clarifying specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals may be the first mile of a thousand others. The greatest achievers in life have made remarkable strides in their careers after someone held their hands. This means that your mentor should be someone you want to be \u2018when you grow up\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>They should inspire you, challenge you, stimulate your creativity and push you to tap your fullest potential. Identify what they are good in and what you would like to get from the relationship. It is wise to note that you can have different mentors at the same time. For instance; you can have a career mentor, a spiritual sensei, a life-skills coach, etc. Just ensure that all these interactions are well within what you can manage and set a reasonable time for. It beats logic to overwhelm yourself with coaches whose wisdom nuggets you cannot sufficiently apply in your life.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reaching_Out_to_a_Potential_Mentor\"><\/span>Reaching Out to a Potential Mentor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The next question to grapple with is where? In countering the where you need to come up with a 1-5 year plan on where you want to be career-wise. This forms a fundamental pathway to finding a career mentor. Many make mistakes of spending a lot of time in finding a career mentor only to change careers later. This is not only a waste of time but shows a lack of direction.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, locating a mentor is long and tedious as it is stressful. It literally involves stopping a few individuals on the corridor, short elevator pitches and endless emails sent out. Great career mentors can be found in one\u2019s line of work, especially in our workplaces.<\/p>\n<p>In the book\u00a0<em>Lean In<\/em>, Sheryl Sandberg likens the process to a character in the book in search of its mother. It is a short story about a bird that hatches from its egg in an empty nest and goes in search of its mother. The little bird asks everyone it comes across with\u00a0<em>\u2018Are you my mother\u201d\u00a0<\/em>including kittens, cows, dogs and hens. In most instances, it gets a big No for an answer but rarely relents.<\/p>\n<p>The right career mentor will not simply say a yes but explicit an organic interest to your life, career, interest and you in general.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nurture_the_Relationship\"><\/span>Nurture the Relationship<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Unlike most natural relationships that are two-way, a mentor-mentee relationship is usually one way. It is the mentee&#8217;s responsibility to keep it going. Keep your career mentor updated about your progress, initiate chats, express interest in what they are doing. Most mentors lose motivation to maintain the relationship because of this simple concept. It is important to note that the mentor may have a number of other mentees and a workload of duties to juggle with and therefore delegating the role of maintaining a career relationship may seem a bit far-fetched.<\/p>\n<p>The relationship may seem feeble, epitomized by a few answered calls but that should not scare you. Stay on the radar of your mentor by making your presence and admiration known to them. This can be done through retweeting their tweets, liking and commenting their posts in a positive way and the list is endless.<\/p>\n<p>Finally remember, it is perfectly okay to change a career mentor. The relationship is should only be maintained if growth is experienced. Conversely, hopping from one mentor to another may stunt your career progress and it is therefore advised to take time before changing career mentors.<\/p>\n<p>All the best finding your career mentor!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Effective_Mentoring_Styles_For_A_Leader\"><\/span>Effective Mentoring Styles For A Leader<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mentoring is a good way to help a person grow personally or professionally. It helps a mentor share perspectives, experiences, skills, expertise, and values with a mentee. A mentor typically ignites a desire to grow or awakes a sleepy ability within a mentee. Whether done formally, within an organisation or informally, at a personal level, mentoring provides support, valuable feedback and the drive needed to unlock the potential of a mentee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, it needs to be done properly so that both the mentor and the mentee can gain from the relationship. As a mentor, you need to know what you want to impart in the mentee and what style the mentee prefers, so that you are able to successfully provide the right guidance and in the right way. Remember, a successful mentorship relationship will give you personal satisfaction, as it helps you shape future generations.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_be_an_Effective_Mentor\"><\/span>How to be an Effective Mentor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4757\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/How_to_be_an_Effective_Mentor.png\" alt=\"Effective mentor\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/How_to_be_an_Effective_Mentor.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/How_to_be_an_Effective_Mentor-770x252.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/How_to_be_an_Effective_Mentor-390x127.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teach_and_Model\"><\/span>Teach and Model<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teaching is a way of passing on knowledge and sharing experiences, which the mentee can benefit from. Teaching is a process that can be used in a formal and informal setting and helps you shape the development of a mentee through past experiences and expertise. While at it, remember that the mentee picks up values, beliefs, ethics, attitudes, methods, and styles by simply observing your actions. This means that you can mentor by modelling, as the mentee will most likely model their behaviour around your own. The mentee will often follow your path, adapt your approaches, and generally follow your actions. Therefore, your behaviour ought to be that which can be emulated beneficially.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sponsor_your_Mentee\"><\/span>Sponsor your Mentee<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A big role played by mentors involves opening doors for mentees. Mentors, especially within an organisation or industry, often have the right networks and influence to help mentees grow. If and when a suitable opportunity arises, you can open the door for a mentee to walk in and grow themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Inspire_and_Motivate_them\"><\/span>Inspire and Motivate them<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike a coach who simply imparts knowledge in the learner, a mentor encourages and supports a mentee. Oftentimes, this is because the mentor knows the mentee well enough and knows what works for them and what doesn\u2019t. As a mentor, it is your duty to help the mentee merge their personal goals with that of the organization so that they can grow.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Offer_Guidance_and_Counselling\"><\/span>Offer Guidance and Counselling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A mentor also doubles up as a confidant and a personal consultant of different matters. As a result, you are most likely to be privy to different issues affecting your mentee. As your relationship grows over time, you can guide and counsel your mentee, based on personal experiences and knowledge. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From these points, it is clear that an effective mentor-mentee relationship is grown and nurtured over time. As a mentor, play an active role in managing the relationship, which will develop mutual trust, and this helps in strengthening the relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mentoring_Styles\"><\/span>Mentoring Styles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4758\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Mentoring_Styles.png\" alt=\"Mentorship styles\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Mentoring_Styles.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Mentoring_Styles-770x252.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Mentoring_Styles-390x127.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is no standard way of mentoring, there are several ways in which mentorship takes place. It is also possible to oscillate between different styles, based on the circumstances at play. Here are some commonly used mentorship styles.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mentoring_by_Connecting\"><\/span>Mentoring by Connecting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of a godfather. A person with the key to any door that a mentee may need to walk through. As a connector, your role is to ensure that the mentee has the right skills and then introducing them to the right networks and helping them meet the right people on their journey to growth. You hold the mentee\u2019s hand and help them learn how to create networks and maximise these relationships. Your role is especially valuable when the mentee is just getting started and does not have the industry connections to grow. This kind of mentoring can also be situational, where you help the mentee overcome particular hurdles and challenges. Your role as a mentor is to simply help the mentee at a specific time.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mentoring_by_Challenging\"><\/span>Mentoring by Challenging<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a challenger, your role is to push the mentee to be what they can possibly be. You know the mentee\u2019s capabilities and you constantly ensure that the mentee remains focused on the goal and that they are achieving key goals. You focus on tiny details and ensure that they are in place. You are firm but very supportive and you can be friendly or tough, depending on the situation. This kind of mentoring works best in formal situations, where you help the mentee set specific goals and targets and keep checking with them to ensure that the progress is on track.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mentoring_by_Educating\"><\/span>Mentoring by Educating<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this case, your role as a mentor is to teach a mentee what you have learned either through experience or in training. It is often helpful when the mentee is interested in learning things that you have superior knowledge in. For example, if you are an entrepreneur and a mentee is trying to start their own business, you can teach them how to manoeuvre so that they can stand on their own feet. As a mentor, you should identify the mentee\u2019s strengths and weaknesses and know how to work with them for a successful relationship. Identify the knowledge gaps as well and teach the mentee the ropes.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mentoring_by_Cheerleading\"><\/span>Mentoring by Cheerleading<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cheerleading is all about injecting positive energy. It is about identifying the positives in a mentee and reinforcing positive behaviour. Even is a mentee makes a mistake, it is the role of the mentor to turn it into a positive idea so that it becomes a learning experience. This is often the most preferred style as it helps the mentee have someone to lean on even on the worst days. Just like in a football match, the mentor who leads by cheering often injects some kind of energy into the player, in this case, the mentee, and this helps the mentee get through the bad days and learn how to maximise on the good days.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mentoring_by_Ideating\"><\/span>Mentoring by Ideating<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an ideator, your role is to help the mentee brainstorm on new ideas. Sometimes, a mentee needs a sounding board for new ideas and this is how you as a mentor helps the mentee develop their ideas. As a mentor, you help the mentee plan, think, and see the bigger picture. It is your role as a mentor to help the mentee grow their ideas in sound and executable strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are different mentoring styles based on the relationship and the set up between the mentor and mentee. As a mentor, you act as a guide for the mentee and help them achieve whatever they are capable of achieving. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Find out the differences between mentoring and coaching <a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/coaching-vs-mentoring\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Case_Study_African_Leaders_Mentored_By_Marcus_Garvey\"><\/span>Case Study: African Leaders Mentored By Marcus Garvey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While most mentorship relationships happen between people who are close to one another, it is possible for them to happen between people who have never met. This kind of mentorship takes place where as a mentee, you actively seek out information about a mentor and then model your actions on those of the mentor.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Garvey, one of the greatest leaders of the Pan-African movement, was one such mentor who indirectly mentored many African leaders through his teachings. The leaders actively used his teachings in colonial and postcolonial Africa. Here are 5 African leaders who greatly benefited from the teachings of the great Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr.<\/p>\n<p>Patrice Lumumba<\/p>\n<p>The first elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Patrice Lumumba is remembered for his great contribution towards the end of the colonial rule of Belgians in Congo. He was a great supporter of Pan-Africanism and strongly advocated for the end of colonial rule in Africa. Just like his mentor Marcus Garvey, Lumumba envisioned a united Congo which was free of colonial and external influences. He advocated for strong African structures and governance systems, which would help Africans and more specifically the people of Congo, navigate their own unique circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>Nelson Mandela<\/p>\n<p>Seen as the father of modern South Africa, Mandela remains a political icon across the world. He famously led the anti-apartheid movement, which ushered in African leadership in South Africa. Mandela often stated that he admired Marcus Garvey and was a keen student of his teachings on Pan-Africanism. Mandela was greatly involved in African Nationalist politics and vehemently fought for an end to racial segregation in South Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Steve Biko<\/p>\n<p>Another South African on the list, Steve Biko was a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement, which returned power to black South Africans. He is remembered as one of the founders of South Africa\u2019s Black Consciousness Movement, which was influenced by the teachings of Marcus Garvey and advocated for African Nationalism.<\/p>\n<p>Kwame Nkrumah<\/p>\n<p>Kwame Nkrumah is one of Ghana\u2019s iconic leaders, having led the push to the end of colonial rule in the country. Nkrumah first encountered Marcus Garvey\u2019s work when he was a college student in the United States and they greatly influenced his version of the struggle for an independent Ghana. Due to So influential was Garvey on Nkrumah, that the later went ahead to name the national shipping line, \u2018The Black Star Line\u2019 and Ghana\u2019s flag has a black star in the middle.<\/p>\n<p>Jomo Kenyatta<\/p>\n<p>Finally, our very own Jomo Kenyatta was a student of Garvey\u2019s teachings of unification and Pan-Africanism. Kenyatta, Kenya\u2019s first Prime Minister and later, president, was greatly influenced by the teachings of Garvey on African pride and made efforts to create a unified Kenya after independence, his vision being the social and economic development of the country.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus Garvey had a tremendous impact on the lives of millions of people across the world. Through his teachings and ideologies, he mentored many people who formed various political organisations based on his ideologies. His greatest impact was on different liberation movements across the world, and especially in Africa, where many countries were clamouring for independence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A career mentor is an individual who holds your hand through the different stages of your career growth. This is someone who has more experience, knowledge or skills and is willing to guide another individual into the modalities of how things are done and how to grow their career. The value of career mentors A [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":10540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"content_author":[],"class_list":["post-4660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-development"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4660"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=4660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}