A mentor will not solve all your problems just by being in his presence.? The success of a mentorship rests heavily upon how much preparation you do. 
How to prepare for meeting your mentor?
For one hour of mentorship you should spend at least one hour of preparation. Some recommend up to three hours.
Remember that your mentor is not your psychotherapist. They should not be there to listen to your sob story. A mentor ought to be in large part a person who answers specifically crafted questions which you prepare for them. Depending on where you are in life and in what area you’ve asked them to mentor you, take the time to design key questions before you meet.?Remember that when you spend time to prepare a clear question, you will have to do some major thinking in many cases. That in itself is a big part of the growth process of good mentorship.
In other words, the very best preparation to do before mentorship is to untangle your thoughts. ?Then, your mentor will be positioned to push you even further. ? I know from my experience, if we are not careful, we want the mentor to do the untangling (and all the thinking) that we can and should do alone.
Questions to ask your mentor
Now that you have selected your mentor, set up a mentorship session, and done the untangling and clarifying, I want to share with you some key questions to consider addressing with your mentor. ?Feel free to use these questions verbatim, or alter them to suit your personal situation and interests. Keep your questions succinct and as clear as possible.
[unordered_list style=’number’ number_type=’circle_number’ animate=’no’ font_weight=’regular’]
- How do you define success in life?
- What books have most impacted your life?
- What people do you know that I should meet?
- How do you practice personal development?
- What do you want out of life?
- What do you see are upcoming trends in the industry?
- How do you manage life balance?
- How do you reach your potential?
- How do you know God?s will?
- If you were me, what questions would you be asking your mentor?
- Who has influenced you the most?
- How do you find your life purpose?
- What top values are you committed to?
- What do you want to be remembered for?
- What are the most life changing principles that you have learned?
- What must I do to lead a successful life?
- How can I make a lasting impact?
- How should I spend the second half of my life?
- What are the most important values of a leader?
- What are the best daily habits to develop and commit to?
- What do you see that I don?t see? (In this question you are inviting your mentor to point out areas of your life that you may be totally blind to?blind spots.)
[/unordered_list]
For further reading about finding a mentor and getting the most out of your time with one, check out these additional blog posts:
Mentorship 101
What Is Your Growth Plan for? 2013: (Part V: Mentors and Coaches)
I want to challenge you to find at least one mentor by June of this year if you don’t already have one. If you do, I would love to hear about your experience. Feel free to leave a comment on this post.
I hope that you continue growing daily! Our life on earth is limited. Our impact here is eternal. Let’s live a life where we reach our maximum potential, so we can go out and make an enduring positive impact on others.
Questions: What is the best question you ever asked a mentor? Or what is a question you would most like to ask one?
Your Friend,
Comment