I've crossed paths with some senior PMs when my organisation was delivering to their organisation. They came across as knowledgeable, approachable professionals but we didn't interact enough to build any personal relationship.
Would my best strategy be to ask to pick their brain on something and keep picking if they respond well or would it be better to bluntly propose the mentor-mentee relationship?
How would you feel if someone you have met say five years ago approached you to be their mentor?
When I last had a mentor long time ago it happened naturally due to constant interaction and good rapport. Saving Changes...
Dear,
In my opinion, the best way to attain the maximum knowledge and information from a mentor-mentee relationship, which empowers you to develop capabilities to make the best decisions, is by building an integrated team based on a safe and trusting environment. Thus, it permits a continuous flow of communication to facilitate the exchange.
So, it is not necessarily someone that is your close friend, it is just one willing to work jointly to create a team because both of you have a common interest. For me, the crucial word that you should seek in your mentor is mindset. If both of you share the same mindset and align your expectations, likely the outcomes of the relationship will be reached.
My recommendation is to make a questionary to evaluate essential subjects like:
What do you and your mentor look for in the relationship?.
Why does the relationship matter?
What are the expectations related to the deadline, scheduling, communications, etc?
How can a mentor help you? What do you expect from him?
What type of expertise would you need from your mentor?
What are the minimum capabilities the mentor expect from you at the beginning?
Finally, as with any other relation, it is an evolutive process, where trusty communication will help feed and make it more profitable. Saving Changes...
Kevin ColemanSubject Matter Expert, Author, Speaker and Strategic Advisor| - InsightsPa, United States
The single biggest issue that I see is finding mentors that are 100% objective and keep up with the rapid pace of change today Saving Changes...
