Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Digital mentors" What is in it for Mentees?

Digital Mentors: What’s in It for the ‘Mentees’?





In my last post, I talked about being a digital mentor. Like many business professionals, I was sharing my experience via online articles posts and videos as well as thoughts and curated content links via social media. When I discovered that I was helping others, I decided to become intentional about it, and put together a framework to guide my own digital mentorship and to help others become digital mentors as well.
We know that being a digital mentor can be gratifying to the person circulating their insights – but how much value can a mentee truly get from catching the mentorship broadcast offered online by a seasoned professional? If you go about it right, enough to clear your next professional hurdle. Here are some ways to make the most of being coached in this new way.
Tips for Mentees
For people looking to grow and progress in and out of the office, the guidance from a digital mentor gives you a once rare opportunity. In the past, the insights of individuals in the C-suite and thought leaders in your field would rarely, if ever, be available widely. Mentorship was one on one. Digital mentorship extends their life learnings to anyone with a browser.
When you find a mentor you respect and want to learn from, identify all the social media platforms they’re using and follow them. Many have written books and articles for mainstream publication articles, of course, and setting up a Google alert makes sure you're in the loop when the mentor writes something new or just posts new content online.
Once you’re connected, persistent application of their insights is key. If the mentor posts links to an article or book, do your homework to see if you can apply their knowledge to your life. If they suggest people to follow or contact, go online and research. You get the point. Engage fully with their ideas.
While a digital mentorship is not a personal relationship as traditional mentorships are, personal touchpoints can be created. Some suggestions:
  • Post comments on their blog and Facebook page. On Twitter, express gratitude by thanking them and retweeting their insights to your network.
  • If you have a specific topic or question you'd like your digital mentor to address, reach out via the right channel and ask – but don’t be a pest. Reach out with generosity.
  • Feel free to write a blog post sharing the mentor’s insights and let the mentor know.
  • Congratulate accomplishments. Your appreciation for who they are is generous – and generosity can build intimacy. It's a welcoming way to create awareness that you're there for them.
The Amazing Feedback
Reach out to your mentor with kindness and honesty. As I believe in living a life in service of others – both professionally and personally – I have an immense feeling of gratitude when my audience responds positively to what I post online. I’d bet the feeling is mutual among the many professionals sharing their experience in the digital space.
A couple of examples:
  • After I linked to a story on the words “thank you” being the two most important in business, a woman named Zahara wrote: “Keith, that reminds me that I owe you a big thank you. I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of the content you post. I appreciate the generous spirit behind your philosophy of connecting with others. I appreciate the kind of companies and world that will be built by people learning to extend hands to each other in the spirit of cooperation. Thank you for the hard work you put into thinking about principled ways to network. And thank you for sharing your ideas in meaningful ways.”
  • And completely out of the blue, Scott grabbed my attention with a simple statement on the topic of this post: “Keith, you are amazing and a great mentor!”
From Online to the Real World
If you like what the digital mentor is doing but need something more, identify a real-world mentor. Everyone should have a mentor that they meet and share with, in person. A digital mentorship is not meant to replace a face-to-face one.
Real-world mentors are the valuable individuals who take the time to coach you, keep you accountable and guide your life and career in the real world.
Sometimes, a digital mentor can lead you to a personal mentor. A friend told me a story of finding a mentor because that person regularly responded to tweets on a digital mentor’s Twitter feed. When the friend looked at the commenter’s Twitter profile, he saw they lived in the same city. A personal message led to a lunch, a connection and eventually a mentoring relationship.
It’s never a question of either/or: Both types of mentorships help you learn and grow, whether you’re a mentor yourself (yes, we learn by teaching) or just learning from one.
So, if you’d like, find me online and let me know you've decided to be my mentee. I'll certainly appreciate the value you put on the insights I try to share. If you're so moved, share the personal transformation I've helped you achieve. Now THAT will get my attention.




Comments

Isabel Rodrigues's picture
I'm afraid that your main message here is:
- without feed-back there is no value for the insights
Thank you for share - I do really appreciate! even when I write nothing (sorry!). Portugal need a lot of cooperation in this difficult moment, so there is an exceptional opportunity for you to come here with your lectures.

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