The definition of a mentee is “a person who is advised, trained or counseled by a mentor.”
They have recognized the wisdom of asking someone to be their mentor to assist them in their business. As with any relationship: business or personal, people have their own responsibilities and expectations. And that is the same for a mentee as it is for a mentor. What are some of the responsibilities you have as a mentee?
Before you enter this valuable relationship, consider if you are willing to commit to the following:
Respect your Mentor’s Advice
Respect their advice is based on experience and knowledge.
Understand they may be commenting on things you have not yet considered and so you need to process this, not discard it.
Understand they are providing advice on potential threats and dangers. They may have been down the same road as you are now (or similar) and therefore, they have seen the hazards.
Respect your Mentor’s Time
Your mentor wants to assist you and is willing to spend time with you.
Set specific times to meet and stick to them unless there is an emergency.
Do not keep discussing the same thing repeatedly. If that is the case, ask for support to do what you need to do. You have received advice that you know is right and the next step is to take an action step: not to “retalk it”.
Respect your Mentor’s Expertise
Be honest and clear with what you need help with. Your Mentor cannot help you if you are not communicating clearly what questions or struggles you are having.
Be prepared, open and willing to look at things from their perspective and always recognize they have insight and knowledge based on their experiences.
Take an active step in incorporating their expertise into your business and share the successes with them.
This relationship is built on mutual respect. You respect their experience and advice, and they respect that you have ability, drive and integrity to be mentored.
Treat your Mentor with the utmost of respect. Have good conversations but not ever a heated one. And this is to be a positive experience not just for you, but also for your mentor.
May God richly bless you as you live His Word in your business by recognizing the wisdom and value of a mentor/mentee relationship.
Have a wonderful week!
Bonny, Christian Women at Work
bonny@christianwomenatwork