Become a Mentor for Young Work Colleagues
Often times, rookies in the professional world are baffled as to tricks of the trade and hazards of the job. An experienced mentor can be very helpful to a new professional in the office. Wait until you are approached then prepare a mentor-ship program for that person.
Steps
- Go to lunch with the new colleague after they have requested your assistance.
- Always share information with this person in confidence.
- Ensure mentorship is acceptable in your office. You don't want to be accused of sexual harassment, so make sure your supervisor is aware of what you are doing.
- Prepare an informal plan with your new colleague. Decide to touch base once a week to see how your colleague is doing.
- Meet either once a week or bi-weekly.
- Schedule to communicate or you may become too busy to honor your commitment. Also constant interruptions by your protege will soon become a nuisance.
- You can do most of your communications online so as not to interfere with your own work production.
- If you choose to communicate online, be careful about your wording. Even innocent jokes can be misinterpreted. Don't use swear words and keep your language clean and clear.
- If you don't feel comfortable communicating online, only meet in person or talk on the telephone.
- Discuss only the issues in which you are experienced. Don't "wing" it with people.
- Encourage your protege to write a list of questions they may need you to answer in between meetings.
- If you are permitted, take your protege with you on business calls and explain to your client you are working with a new colleague.
- Include your colleague in appropriate business meetings.
- Provide advice about the ins and outs of how your office works. Explain the hierarchy for people to talk to in the event of office issues.
- Discourage your protege from becoming involved in gossip.
- Explain the nature of your office's politics to your protege. They exist and there is no way to avoid them, but knowing how to play the game fairly is what matters.
- Be available after hours if you can, but limit your contact at that time. You need a break from work and you have a life!
- If your mentor-ship is not working for either one of you, politely agree to disagree and perhaps suggest someone else in the office with whom your protege would be better suited.
Tips
- Encourage your new colleague to be patient and build a solid work portfolio before applying for a promotion or expecting a raise.
- Help your friend to be flexible in their job description by explaining that no one works only within a job description. The "it's not my job" mentality is certain to fail any employee.
- Don't indulge in office gossip with your protege.
- Explain to your protege that a raise is not automatic; it has to be earned. Help your colleague to learn how to earn their raise and bonuses.
- Suggest to your protege that they volunteer for the occasional project/event if it will assist their career.
