Nine reasons you should consider working with a mentor

As someone who has been both a mentee and a mentor, I am passionate about the benefits that having a mentor can bring for PR professionals. I believe that it is an opportunity which is not taken up enough and I wanted to share why I think mentoring is something everyone in our industry should consider.

Before we jump into the nine reasons I think you should consider working with a mentor, let’s cover off some important info…

What is a mentor?

A mentor is someone who has experienced something similar to the situation you want to explore, and can share their expertise to support you. For example, if you are looking for support to develop your career you might choose a PR professional in a more senior role to you. If you are looking for help to take a step up to managing a team you might work with a mentor from a different sector who has extensive management experience.

Mentoring is “A learning relationship which helps people to take charge of their own development, to release their potential and to achieve results which they value” (Connor and Pokora, Coaching and Mentoring at Work). I like this definition because it reinforces that you, the mentee, are in charge. Your mentor isn’t there to solve your problems, but to help you find answers.

So now that we are clearer on what mentoring is, and is not, what are the benefits of working with a mentor?

Nine reasons you should consider working with a mentor

1. It’s a safe space for work or career related discussions. You should agree rules of engagement with your mentor when you start working with them, but usually the key rule is that your conversations are confidential. The only exception is if the mentor feels they need to take action to protect your safety or someone else’s.
    
2. You can expect targeted results. Great mentoring relationships centre around an agreed opportunity or situation. For example, getting a promotion, switching careers, improving skills and performance in a certain area or dealing with a difficult team member.
    
3. Mentors are distanced from your situation. Good mentors aren’t from within your own team. They are distanced from the people and the politics that you have to work with. This enables them to provide a more impartial view, and to challenge your thinking where it might be helpful. 
    
4. They have walked in your shoes. Your mentor may not have experienced exactly the same issues you are hoping to talk through, but (if you’ve recruited the right person) they will have similar experiences to draw upon, and will be able to talk through how they managed the situation. This might open up other options for you, or it might just help you feel less like you’re the only person this has ever happened to.
    
5. Mentors help you to gain perspective. Good mentors give your relationship some kind of structure. This could be that they suggest you share what you want to discuss in advance of your meeting, keep a diary, or send notes of your meeting afterwards. As well as helping you both to remember what you’ve discussed, the act of writing down your thoughts helps you to diffuse any stress you might be feeling, and gives you perspective.
    
6. They can expand your network. You’ll get the most from working with a mentor outside your usual circle. Doing this opens up a new network of people for you to meet, with diverse experiences to share. You might even connect with hiring managers to pitch your CV to.
    
7. Mentoring is an opportunity suitable for you regardless of your seniority level. It doesn’t matter whether you are the most junior person in your company or you’re the CEO. Everyone has something more they can learn, and a mentor can help you do just that.
    
8. You can rely on a good mentor to give you a nudge in the right direction, whether that is constructive criticism or positive reinforcement that you are on the right track.
    
9. They focus on you. There’s some great managers out there, but even the best managers often have multiple team members to supervise, stakeholders to manage and projects to juggle. Plus their own career. A mentoring discussion is all about you. Say you have a difficult stakeholder to manage on a project. You can use your mentoring time to work through how you might approach the situation, what you could do differently, how you can build your resilience and confidence and so on. 

So what next?

If I’ve piqued your interest about a mentor, there are few routes you can explore. Many professional membership organisations run mentoring programmes, for example if you are a CIPR member you can sign up for the CIPR Mentoring Scheme. 

You can also ask your employer if they have a formal mentoring programme, or any informal mentoring approaches you could take advantage of (just remember you don’t want someone too close to your own role so that you feel you can be fully open in your discussions). 

Lastly, you can do your own research and find an independent mentoring provider. These come in all shapes and sizes, from consultants like me to private businesses and charities. If you decide to work with a mentor who charges for their services, be sure to properly check their credentials and exchange a basic contract which outlines the services they will provide in exchange for an agreed rate of pay.

Mentoring has had a very positive experience on my career, as both a mentee and latterly a mentor. I hope that this has inspired you to consider mentoring for yourself. Good luck!

With experience working across a wide range of sectors in the UK and internationally, Carolyn Bowick has 20 years’ experience of building brands and growing businesses. She now balances a senior marketing role in a global technology organisation with running her own consultancy. A lover of words and a self-confessed data nerd, Carolyn loves putting strategy into practice, and creating marketing and communications campaigns that deliver. She also mentors marketing, PR and communications professionals to help them reach their full potential.