Advice For When There Is No One to Act as Mentor

I got this post from LinkedIn Pulse. You can read it here "Advice For When There Is No One to Act as Mentor".  It was written by Deborah Norville. This is really important to me because of the role my mentor has played in my life.  

Follow and Emulate People You Admire
 
I made a point of studying the careers and following the work of people in my profession whose work and career path I hoped to replicate. Those were the days before the Internet, so that meant scouring magazines and reading newspapers from around the country for feature stories on the journalists I admired. At my local library, I handed over a nickel per page to copy these articles, which formed an "inspiration library" that I  would read whenever my spirits would flag. The process had the added benefit of helping hone my research skills, something any reporter hoping to advance needs.

There are also many ways to get mentored. Even if there is no person with the time or inclination to act as a sounding board, you can use the Internet to replicate a lot of the advice you might have received.

Watch the "How I Got My Start" videos of the key people in your field — and be sure to look for the stories of people a few rungs down the success ladder. Comment if appropriate and consider reaching out to the individual if something they said was particularly impactful to you. You might be surprised how many high-level people are actually accessible.

Follow the social media feeds of inspirational business leaders and entrepreneurs. Not all of the messages will have direct impact on your individual goals, but a steady diet of uplifting messages can help keep you stoked despite inevitable setbacks.

Get skilled. As you study the paths of successful people in your field, do they mention skills that you don't have? Look to online learning to obtain them or invest in some courses at local schools during your off time.

The point is that much of the guidance you would likely get from your mentor will become obvious as you dig deeper.

Take Chances to Get Noticed 

It’s hard to advance if no one knows who you are. If you want to get noticed, you’ve got to do something to bring the spotlight to you. Fortunately, there are many positive ways to do this – the best involve YOU going the extra mile. Most of us start out at the bottom of the office hierarchy – but that doesn’t mean you can’t be the best admin or mailroom clerk the company has ever seen.

My first reporting job had me in the newsroom beginning at 8:30 or 9 a.m. and working straight through the 11 p.m. news. I think I made $75 a day for that job — that’s probably illegal both then and now.

When I moved to Chicago, I volunteered to show up at work at 4 a.m. to anchor the local news breaks during the "Today" show. No one else wanted to do it – for me, it meant I was the first reporter in the newsroom and thus had a better shot at pitching an interesting story for that day’s newscast.

Volunteer for projects that will bring you in closer contact with key decision makers at your company. Does that really help? Just ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. He started out as an intern and later driver for then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozell. Today some say he is the most important man in sports.

Many companies have affinity groups or after-hours events like company softball games. Don’t discount their potential benefits. That guy behind you batting clean-up might notice your all-out hustle on the field – and turn out to recommend you to his management peer who’s looking to beef up her division. 


Educate Yourself and Then Trust Your Gut 

One challenge of being your own mentor is it's easy to get stuck in "analysis paralysis." Resist the temptation to learn a "bit more."  Once you've armed yourself with information, it's time to act. Map out your game plan. Research has shown that simply committing your goals to paper increases the chance of achieving them. Make the connections or acquire the skills you need to move in the right career direction. Ask for meetings  — and when they happen, say THANK YOU. It is stunning how often people forget to simply say "thanks."  I will never forget the intern who got her spot because I ran interference for her — in three months’ time she never bothered to say thank you! It is not likely I will ever extend myself on her behalf again.  Fortunately she is a rare exception!

Pay It Forward 


Just because you don’t have a mentor doesn’t mean you can’t be one yourself. You will probably find as I have that helping others advance in their careers gives you the adrenaline to press forward in your own. More than 25 years ago, I helped my intern at NBC News make his first on-camera demo tape. Today he’s a top anchor on ESPN. Every time I see him on TV, my mood brightens. My intern at my old station in Chicago went on to become a top executive at CNN in Atlanta where she managed news coverage and created important news programs. A young woman I mentored outside of television now lives down South and through our periodic emails, I keep abreast of her success in her career – and in life.

Remember this: you may not have a mentor now — or even better, a sponsor, someone who actually extends themselves on your behalf — but that doesn’t mean you won’t have one going forward. If you take on some of the be-your-own-mentor assignments outlined here, a real-life mentor may materialize. There is a strong chance your focus and determination will catch the eye of someone who becomes a trusted sounding board for you. Becoming a mentee at that stage will be of even greater benefit because you’ll enter the relationship much more self-aware and able to reap the advantages of having meaningful engagement with your advisor. You will thrive in your career and your mentor can feel proud of the role they played in facilitating your success.