Asking the right questions to the right person opens the door of possibilities for seeking information. In this age of competition, if you can find the best mentor, it will pave your path with guaranteed success. Mentors make you believe in yourself even when you are not aware of your inner talents. They see it through you and bring the best out of you.
But is it enough? Having someone guide you is bliss, but it is your responsibility to make the best out of the relationship with your mentor. And the first step is to ask questions. So let’s look at the kind of questions to ask a mentor to get a great mentorship experience.
How to Ask Questions
Before we delve into what you must ask, you should remember specific vital points as mentioned below.
Be Prepared
Your questions must have a purpose, and you must come prepared before the conversation. Your preparation gives the mentor the idea of your commitment to developing yourself.
Be Specific
A mentor invests his time in you apart from his other responsibilities. So, do not beat around the bush and get straight to the point. For example, “How do I conduct presentations”? Can be rephrased to “ What can I do to avoid being nervous while conducting presentation”?
Career Related
Your questions should be about seeking solutions to your work-related problems. You can also ask your mentor to give you examples of how they deal with their situations and find an inspiration to fight yours.
Assess your Learning
The training with your mentor would surely give you takebacks. Assess what you learn from the sessions and maintain a log to refer to it in the future. Most importantly, follow the learnings.
Don’t Forget to Thank your Mentor.
A relationship must benefit both parties. Remember to thank your mentor for the efforts he put into your improvement and if he asks, give him an honest review.
Questions to Ask a Mentor
I have categorized the questions based on the context. It helps you prioritize one over the other and gives the mentor time and ideas to provide practical answers.
For a Career Boost and Self-Development – Goal Bound
1. How can I develop the skills needed for this job?
2. How can I effectively manage multiple responsibilities?
3. How can I establish discipline and complete my tasks before the deadline?
4. What can I do to strengthen my skills?
5. How to make use of my soft skills?
6. How to make an impact and be the first choice at the onset of a new project?
7. What steps can I take to see myself in the upper management in the next three years?
8. What are the values you hold dear and necessary to grow in life?
Address Negativity and Personal Doubt
1. How can I motivate myself?
2. What are the best ways to fight stress?
3. How do you bounce back from initial failures?
4. How to address self-doubts and move on?
5. How can I work without caring for the people’s negative comments?
6. What are some ways to build inner confidence?
7. What can I do to fight procrastination?
8. How can I balance my work and personal life?
Based on Situations
1. How can I make an impressive cover letter and a resume?
2. How can I make an impression in a virtual meeting?
3. How do you network with influential people? Share some tips.
4. How can I make a point without hurting my boss?
5. How can I crack the interview of the internal job transfer applied?
6. How to build a rapport with my team members and boss?
7. What can I do better in this current situation?
8. How could I do things differently?
On FeedBack
1. How do I track my improvement?
2. How can I take my criticism constructively?
3. Am I going in the right direction in my career?
4. How do I make sure I do not repeat the same mistakes?
5. What is your feedback on my development so far?
6. How can I prepare myself better for performance assessments?
7. Do you suggest any self-help books?
Understand the very significant aspect of putting forth what you want to know is to ask questions because,
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever!
Shellye is committed to help people from diverse backgrounds to achieve their aspiration in career and life. The content published above was made in collaboration with our members.
Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.