Where To Find Mentors

Considering where to find mentors comes after you have made the logical decision to try and incorporate the mentoring system into your business life. In order to find a mentor, one must find a person who they both respect, admire, and can take and trust advice from. This person can be from within your place of employment, or outside of it. So the matter of where to find mentors becomes an issue of finding somebody who you can meet regularly, perhaps a local person - as opposed to locations spanning across sectors and regions of the globe.

It is also sensible to understand that where one can find mentors, one can also hire or take advantage of, more than one. These mentors are known as 'serial mentors', who employees have short-term relationships with. These serial mentors are used one after another for short periods of time, providing a client with many different perspectives, and allowing the client to consider using pieces of advice that have come up numerous times, from numerous individuals. This method helps them know which is the best advice to take, and it certainly works as a method for some people.

Authors Devon Scheef and Beverly Kaye, both once wrote in an article from CareerJournal.com, of the benefits of 'mentworking' (something that can be incorporated into short-term mentoring relationships). This so called 'mentworking' consists of a combination of mentoring and networking that enables any of those who participate to receive and give relevant points of fact and information, in a relationship. These relationships are considered equal, and so, both people are equally a learner as they are a teacher.

Where to find a mentor is also a factor that a client will want to consider, when they have decided what qualities they wish their mentor to have. Seeking relevant organisations, a client will choose their mentor upon attributes they feel are relevant to their circumstances. One must consider one's goals whilst choosing a mentor - and so it would be likely to choose a mentor who has either experienced the same difficulties as you, have achieved the goals you want to achieve, or considerable knowledge regarding a pressing issue for you and your life.

One may want to consider asking prospective mentors' co-workers and network contacts for their views on their opinion and ability to assist people. It's best to know where to find a mentor's connections, on a psychological level, before you begin.

It is also a smart idea to choose an individual who is working for the same function area as you perhaps are. It is equally intelligent to choose a person who shares the same values as you - as this can allow them to create more informed decisions, of which they propose to you. 'Where to find mentors?' is a question that springs to mind when you first consider using one - and the best reply would be, professional organisations (which can be found online) if you're looking for someone specific. And indeed, your own network of colleagues can also be a good source.

• More on business mentoring and where to find mentors.