Tip 6 for Respect, Productivity & Notice at Work: Find a Mentor
Mid-to-large size companies often have a mentoring program for pairing established employees that are interested in helping a driven colleague that is newer to the company. Tip six is to find a mentor to help you navigate the company and prepare you for possible advancement. Should your company not have such a program, you can still ask HR if they have any suggestions. This inquiry may just be the spark needed for a formal or informal mentor-ship program in the company and even should the idea be shelved, your expressed interest could help lead to something in the future.
If normal HR assisted processes for finding a mentor are untenable or desirable, you can also approach someone on your own that you admire the work and reputation of. In her article offering this mentoring tip, Shana Lebowitz suggests “choosing someone who works in a different business or department at your organization. It’s even better if you’ve worked with that person on a cross-business or inter-department project.” Lebowitz is drawing from the author of “All the Leader You Can Be,” Suzanne Bates, in making this recommendation. It is preferable to not choose someone that you work closely with as it may appear as if you are currying favor.
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