A key relationship is a highly important connection to an individual with whom you can share your innermost thoughts and plans, whether about your life or career. In our book Time To Get Real!, we describe in our chapter about relationships that a person serving this function in your life, when asked, provides advice and counsel on any problem or decision with which you needed help. This person tells you what you need to hear, even if you don’t want to hear it. They care about you, they seem to understand you, and they want the best for you and your future.

In the professional world, a mentor can serve as a key relationship to help empower you to explore career options that may have been previously unimaginable and provide access to opportunities. A mentor can also help you navigate workplace challenges. In fact, a mentor can help and support you in numerous ways and according to an article in the Washington Post, those benefits include:

“Honest feedback - Being able to accurately identify your personal strengths and weaknesses is necessary for your professional growth. A mentor will be able to offer honest feedback related to your performance, which will highlight areas in which you excel and those that need improvement. While a Yes Man might do wonders for your ego, they will only hinder the development of essential leadership skills.

Accountability - It’s one thing to let yourself down, and it’s an entirely different thing to disappoint someone else who has given you their time and support in order to help you succeed. A mentor will hold you accountable for your actions, and that makes it more difficult for you to give up or slack on achieving your goals. What it boils down to is—you’ll care more about your progress when you’re not the only one who cares.

Increased chances of getting a raise/promotion - According to statistics compiled by Sun Microsystems in a study following 1,000 employees over a five-year period, those who received mentoring were 20 percent more likely to get a raise than their peers who chose not to participate. Additionally, mentees were promoted five times more often than those employees without mentors. This benefit alone should provide all the justification needed to seek out a workplace mentor.”

How to Find a Mentor

When contemplating people in your life who may be a good candidate for a mentor, think about those who are ahead of you in terms of their careers or professional growth. Another way to identify potential mentors is to find individuals who have the position you would like to grow into in the future.

Here are some specific ideas from an article from Indeed.com:

“Search your network - There are several places you can begin searching for mentors. Some examples include family connections, professional associations, your workplace, nonprofit organizations, local businesspeople, and volunteer groups. When searching for a mentor, look for inspirational and successful people in your life. Before someone will mentor you, they will likely need to see your potential in the industry, as well as your willingness to work hard and succeed.

Ask for a meeting - The best way to reach out is usually by sending a short email. Share one or two things you admire about their work, then tell them a little about yourself, why you’re reaching out, what you would like to learn from them, and wrap it up with your ask.

Explain why you selected them and how much you value their expertise - When you can make a clear case for what you want from a mentor relationship and why you are asking this individual to become your mentor, you are more likely to receive a positive response. If your potential mentor seems uncomfortable or skeptical, it's best to step back and keep looking. Even if they want to, they might also simply not have the time or capacity to offer you effective mentorship at that time. A good mentor must be invested and excited for it to be mutually beneficial.”

How to be a good mentee

After you successfully form a relationship with your mentor, it is important to maintain it through regular contact. You will want to set up ongoing meetings or phone calls at a mutually agreeable interval. You will want to be clear about your goals and your expectations of the relationship. During meetings, ask questions, request guidance, and learn from your mentor as much as possible. Be respectful and show up to meetings on time and express your appreciation for their time and support.

When mentors offer constructive guidance and criticism, be prepared to accept, and implement the guidance into your professional life. During your next meeting, provide feedback to your mentor about how these changes are going. Having a mentor as a key relationship is a great way to help you navigate your career path to achieve success.

If you would like more information about key relationships, both personal and professional, we recommend reading chapter four in our book Time To Get Real!. Having strong key relationships in your life is one component of the Life and Career Planning Model© featured in the book. This model is the framework for developing your own life and career plan. Should you choose to create your own plan, we suggest that you consider some amount of personal coaching that can help you to discern and activate your life’s mission and move you toward the best life and career that you deserve. Our coaching fees and services are flexible and meet a broad array of client financial and coaching needs. All Life and Career Planning LLC coaches are experienced and certified in the Life and Career Planning Model© and serve as your accountability partner. To inquire about working with a coach, click here.