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Education and Learning

Getting off on the right foot: Be A Prepared Mentee

Simple steps to create a successful The first step in getting a good mentor is to have a specific goal or purpose that you want your

mentor to focus on with you. Have you ever offered to help to someone yourself and heard the words
mentoring relationship “Anything you could do to help would be appreciated.”? Did you know where to start? Asking for “any
help you can give” puts a lot of pressure on the mentor to work out where you are at and what you
need. Whereas if you have a specific goal, purpose or challenge in mind then it is a good starting point
for your discussions and gives the relationship a focus.

As an Institute member you can enjoy access to our To take this one step further, it is important that you are also able to ask for very specific help. This is
Mentoring Platform, which allows you to easily connect different from having a specific goal. So, for example, your overall goal may be to get a new job, but
with other security professionals whether you are the specific help you may require could be holding mock interviews or putting together a CV or job
looking for support as a Mentee or wanting to develop application.
your own leadership skills as a Mentor. But, why you
might ask should you get involved? Another important tip to keeping your mentoring relationship on track is to always have an agenda.
If you just turn up to a mentoring meeting and say, “What shall we talk about?” the chances are it is
In a Gartner five-year study of 1000 employees going to take much longer for you get to the key points that you need to focus on.
they found that 25% of employees who enrolled in
a mentoring program had a salary grade change, By preparing a short agenda ahead of the meeting which covers a few bullet points related to a
compared to only 5% of workers who did not particular topic or your overall goal, you will find your meetings are much more productive.
participate.
As a mentee you should enter the relationship prepared, with questions. However, and don’t be afraid
The same study also found that mentees were of looking ignorant but do be prepared to share your fears, anxieties and weaknesses.
promoted five times more often than those not involved
in a mentoring program and that retention rates were
higher for both mentees (22% more) and mentors (20% Be A Prepared Mentor
more).
Help your mentee discover their passion and purpose. Your mentee may already know their passion
According to the Harvard Business Review, 84% of CEOs in formal mentoring programs, said mentors and purpose, but for those who don’t, helping them to discover and align these can help transform
had helped them avoid costly mistakes and become proficient in their roles much faster. their career and life.

So, the statistics certainly stack up as to why participating in a mentoring program can be beneficial, Show your vulnerabilities. Your mentee will see you as a role model and they may wish to emulate
but how do you ensure that you get the most from a mentoring relationship? We often get asked, ‘how you. By showing your vulnerabilities you will enable them to explore their own vulnerabilities and talk
can I be a good mentor?’ And we’d argue, we should also be asking ‘How can I be a good mentee?’ So, openly with you about them.
here are a few suggestions for setting up a successful and effective mentoring relationship.
Suspend your judgement. We all have individual differences, values and experiences, for this reason it
Before we forget, you can get onto the platform via the Members Area: https://security-institute.org/ is important to suspend your personal judgment when mentoring. One of your duties as a mentor is
members-area/
to facilitate the success of your mentees. Do not impose your line of thinking or values on them. Be an
active observer and guide them accordingly.

Be transparent and authentic. Full transparency, honesty, authenticity and open communication are all
important when mentoring. Request the same from your mentee and make it part of your mentorship
agreement.

These simple tips should ensure a successful and productive mentoring relationship. If you would
like to find out more about mentoring, become a mentor or find a mentor, why not take a look at our
mentoring program.

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