You’ve done it! You’ve made the leap from individual contributor to manager. As I’m sure you’ve already learned, it’s a whole different ball game that will take some adjustments and growing pains to transition successfully.
Luckily, there are several ways to shorten that learning curve; two of them involve mentorship. By being both a mentee and a mentor, you can sharpen your leadership skills. Here’s how you can benefit from both:
Being A Mentor
Practice makes perfect. Mentorship provides a low-risk environment to refine your coaching strategies and tools. While serving as a mentor, I’ve gained valuable experience in serving as a guide, motivator, coach, and leader.
● Practice problem-solving skills by helping mentees work through their challenges
● Become a better listener
● Strengthen your interpersonal skills
● Get honest feedback from your mentee
● Learn how to effectively give and receive feedback through your interactions with your mentee
● Help vet potential future managers by looking for good managerial/leadership abilities in your mentees
"Good management skills can positively impact productivity, performance and overall employee morale."
- Rosemary Haefner, Former Chief Human Resources Officer at CareerBuilder (via Business Insider)
Being A Mentee
As a mentee, I’ve learned a lot about staying accountable of my goals, managing my time effectively, and receiving feedback through advice and modeling by mentors. These areas of growth have allowed me to become a stronger, more effective leader.
● Learn best practices and wisdom from vets
● Use mentors as a sounding board and support system.
● Practice giving and receiving constructive feedback
● Expand your network and position yourself better for your next jump
Please share this post with your networks using #nextplaymentoring. You can email us at Charu@nextplay.ai if any of this resonated with you - and especially if you have a mentorship success story to share!
