3 types of career mentors (& how to approach them)

By on February 16, 2021   /   Career Development, Working from Home   /   1 Comment

call to approach mentors

by Karen Adamedes

We’ve previously talked about the importance of mentors and that they can be a valuable career asset. Mentors can provide knowledge, guidance on your career, access to networks, and honest, valuable feedback. Or they might simply be a sounding board – to discuss how you handled a situation or how you should tackle something in the future.

The question is who could be a mentor for you? And how on earth do you ask them to help you?

Here’s 3 potential people who could be suitable mentor targets for you. And suggested approaches you could make to them:

Mentor Target 1: Someone you know

If you approach someone you have an established relationship with you can get straight to a discussion about the area that you are seeking help with. You don’t even have to formally ask them to be your mentor – you can get straight down to business.

Here are a couple of approaches you could try:

“I’m currently working on improving my (insert your skill of choice), and I was wondering if we could catch-up so I could ask you a few questions about how you…? Given that I work from home but still want to work on developing my skills I’d really appreciate if we could have a call about…”

And another:

“It’s been really helpful when we’ve talked previously about xyz; I have a few career options that I’m weighing up and I wonder if you’d have time for a call?”

Who could resist? These approaches cover why you want some of their valuable time and how they can help. If you ask in this way and do get turned down, usually it will be for a genuine reason, such as time or work pressures. Not because they don’t want to help you. At the very least you will have represented yourself as a professional who is serious about your career.

If they agree, it could be a one-off conversation regarding the issue you approach them about, or the beginning of a longer term mentoring relationship.

You don’t have to formally ask if the person will mentor you. A follow-up thank-you call, a second meeting… you start to build a relationship by catching up regularly, and before you know it: you’ve got them. (As a mentor that is!)

Mentor Target 2: Your manager who is moving on

If your manager (or a colleague) is moving on to a new opportunity, you have a good rapport, and there are things you would still like to learn from them, formalize a mentoring relationship so you can stay in touch. I once had a manager resign six weeks after I took a job specifically so I could work with them (sigh…), but we remained in contact for many years, and I still had the opportunity to learn from her.

“I am so pleased you have this opportunity. But I’ll miss the chance to work with you and learn more about your approach to XYZ. Do you think you might be able to continue working with me on this as a mentor?”

Formalizing your relationship before they walk out the door makes it legitimate for you to keep in contact even if they’re up to their necks in their new role. They will remember the commitment they made to you.

Mentor Target 3: Someone you don’t know (well)

It’s probably best to have some vague association with the person and not just randomly approach senior managers trying to land a mentor. This association – whether you work in the same organization or business unit, someone has recommended you to approach them, or you have a work issue in common – whatever it is, is your introduction as to why you are getting in touch and will allow you to establish your credibility.

Once you have done this, proceed as you would with someone you know better, explaining why you want to speak to them, what you are trying to learn, and how you think they can help. People will be flattered when you ask for their help. The type of person that you are likely to want to learn from is usually the type of person who wants to help.

The worst thing that can happen is that they say no and you are no worse off. Just ask. As long as you do so professionally, there is no reason not to give it a go!

A mentor will take you, and your request to work with them, seriously if you can describe where you are in your career, work or business and what you want to learn and why. You need to assure them that you are serious and seeking their help for the right reasons. They will also want to know that you are genuinely interested in and committed to the process.

Mentors are a key asset in advancing your skills, knowledge, and career development. Unlike other opportunities that are not as readily accessible when you work from home, a mentor is only a phone call away.

Get one.

 

 

 

 

This tip is based on Tip 76 ‘Get a mentor‘ from Professional in Pajamas: 101 Tips for Working from Home.

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The importance of mentors for your career

By on February 9, 2021   /   Career Development, Working from Home   /   2 Comments

mentors video callby Karen Adamedes

You probably want your career to keep developing even though you are working from home? There is no reason why it should stagnate and that you can’t be working towards your goals, just because you are not working out of someone else’s office. And certainly no reason why you can’t be working with a mentor.

Ongoing career development is important so that you have choices for your future. Choices about where you work, who you work for, and the kind of work you do. There are a number of things you can do to be working on your career – even if you are in lockdown. Working with a mentor is one of the easiest. And most helpful.

Developing you career

Obviously you need to be good at your job to advance your career. In fact, you need to be the very best at your job that you can. But that is unlikely to be enough in the madcap world of business targets, customer demands, and busy schedules. Nor is being dedicated, working long hours or leaping over small buildings in a single bound!

You need the skills to communicate who you are, what you do, and the contributions that you make.

You need to be able to sell your ideas for others to understand your contributions and appreciate the value that you bring to your role.

And you also need the skills to be effective in your work, to build a professional reputation, and to proactively manage your career so that you are able to make the best choices and negotiate the best outcomes for you.

A mentor can help you develop all of these skills.

What is a mentor?

Originating from Greek mythology you’ll hear the term mentor used today in various situations, including business, sport and education. Whatever the circumstances, a mentor describes someone knowledgeable, skilled or experienced who can provide guidance to someone who wants to develop in the mentor’s field of expertise.

A mentor isn’t necessarily an older or more senior person in an organization’s hierarchy. For instance, when you change company or career it’s very likely that people younger than you will have more expertise. Or if you are looking to master some new piece of technology, your best bet may be a teenage mentor who can quickly figure it out. (I confess I had to defer to my teenage nieces to help me with my Instagram account!)

Why are they essential?

Mentors are a secret weapon in career and personal development. They are absolutely essential to your career when you work from home.

They are important to help you stay in touch with what is happening outside of your own four walls and benchmark your skills and expertise.

A mentor can provide you with a broader perspective on many aspects of your work, career, and options. A mentoring relationship can provide you with feedback, fresh ideas, approaches, knowledge, expertise, and advice.

A mentor can provide you with:

  • knowledge
  • guidance on your career, an organization’s internal politics, the market and your skills or communication style (to name just a few areas)
  • a sounding board – to discuss how you handled a situation or how you should tackle something in the future
  • access to networks, and
  • honest, valuable feedback.

Where’s the proof?

The benefits are numerous and invaluable to help you reach your potential, whatever your field or current level of achievement.

Oprah mentored ‘Dr. Phil’. Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, and David Beckham have all acknowledged their mentors as being important to their success. Any top achiever you can think of will have had a mentor or coach – someone to guide, counsel and provide advice. Someone who can look at their performance, provide a different perspective, and advise strategies.

It’s the same in business. Leaders from all types of backgrounds credit one or several mentors for their guidance along the way. Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson of Virgin brand fame acknowledges Sir Frederick Laker, a British airline entrepreneur, as his mentor, and the late Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s hamburger chain, was mentored for many years by KFC’s Harland “Colonel” Sanders.

The fact that these famous, talented and successful people made use of the skills and expertise of others illustrates that having a mentor is a legitimate, not to mention successful, strategy to develop your career.

A career asset

Mentors are a key asset in advancing your skills, knowledge, and career development. Unlike other opportunities that are not as readily accessible when you work from home, a mentor is only a phone call away. Get one.

Next blog, we’ll explore some options for identifying and approaching potential mentors. In the meantime have a think about who you admire and would love to work with on your career.

Dream Big!

 

 

 

 

This tip is based on Tip 76 ‘Get a mentor‘ from Professional in Pajamas: 101 Tips for Working from Home.

 

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5 Reasons to love working from home

By on February 2, 2021   /   Working from Home   /   Leave a comment
Dog on desk working from home

You can spend more time with your furry friend

by Karen Adamedes

Some days it can be difficult to remember the things to love about working from home. It can be challenging when you are in the same four walls, day in day out. Without the option to go to the office for a change of scene or a bit of a chat.

Even before the pandemic, research suggested that the happiest workers were those that worked from home 3 – 4 days a week. You can be productive most of the week and then some social interaction thrown in on the other days. Now that working from home is a full-time gig for many of us, it can be easy to lose sight of the great things there are to love about it. Here’s 5 reasons to love working from home:

Reason 1: You can spend time with your furry friend

Pets are frequently the subject of social media posts extolling the virtues of working from home.

They provide companionship, a good excuse for a walk (with a dog or to look for a cat), and they are great listeners. As long as you don’t expect an answer, at least you can ask them a question out loud, without feeling like you are talking to yourself.

Cuddles, companionship or a welcome diversion – if you are working from home you get to spend more time with your furry friend.

Reason 2: It’s a short commute

woman on bike love working from home

It’s a short commute when you work from home

There is no frustrating crawl in the traffic on the freeway. No battling the rain at the bus stop with an umbrella that has blown inside out from a gust of wind. No smelly commuters packed into a train like a tin of sardines.

Before we all started working from home, the worldwide average commute was around 41 minutes each way. That’s a lot of time standing squished up with strangers, or sitting bumper to bumper in rush-hour traffic.

No wonder one of the top benefits of working from home is often said to be the time and aggravation saved on travel. And one of the reasons people probably won’t flood back into offices when the pandemic is over.

Reason 3: There’s flexibility to manage your day

man laundry

Flexibility to manage your day (squeeze in some laundry or go for a walk?)

Working from home provides a level of freedom and flexibility to manage our day.

It can allow us to work at times that suit our lifestyle or allow us to maximize our productivity or creativity. We may have the flexibility to live where we choose. It can provide opportunities to go for a walk in the middle of the day, take a break to pick up the kids from school, buy food for dinner or actually make it to a gym class on time.

I often get straight into the work day with a break a couple of hours later for a shower when I need to recharge. At the risk of sharing too much information, I often do my best thinking in the shower. It’s time to let my thoughts wander. I don’t find that watching a growing number of emails in my inbox encourages my creativity or my ability to solve problems. Funnily enough, mid-morning showers are not an option when you work from an office!

It’s the flexibility that I, and many other work-from-homers, absolutely love.

Reason 4: You get more done

working lap top

Productivity can soar without the commute and the distractions

Many people believe that they are much more productive at home.

There are numerous studies from recognized institutions such as Stanford University and Harvard Business School that support the fact that people who work remotely are more productive and more engaged. And that this way of working reduces attrition, sick days and facilities costs for employers. It’s a true win-win situation.

There are often less interruptions, less distractions, less commuting, less chatting and definitely fewer  meetings to be dragged into when you work from home. Which means we should be able to spend more time getting our work done.

Reason 5: You can choose where to work

working at park

You can choose where you work

There’s also the ability to work in a location that you like. Posts on social media are filled with hashtags, including #workfromhome, #workfromanywhere, #remoteworking. They show pictures of the views people have while they are working. Often they feature beaches, gardens, swimming pools and mountain vistas.

Your local coffee haunt, a park, a garden… anywhere with Wi-Fi can become your office. And if there isn’t Wi-Fi you can always take your own! Mobile Wi-Fi and smart-phone hot spots are liberating. Work from anywhere is the new work from home. Ducking out of the office (even when it’s your home) for a break is all part of the freedom and flexibility.

No matter where you work, it can be easy to get caught up in the daily grind. But if you are working from home, try and take advantage of the good stuff.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

This tip is based on ‘The good stuff‘ from Professional in Pajamas: 101 Tips for Working from Home

 

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Prepare before you share your screen

By on January 27, 2021   /   Communication, Working from Home   /   Leave a comment

by Karen Adamedes

The ability to share your screen is one of the greatest uses of technology when you are working from home. You can use this feature to make presentations, conduct training, work on a document with other people, or simply share a document or website that you are referring to. If you can see it on your screen, you can share it if you are using a collaboration tool.

Over the years I have had a number of calls from staff members confessing that they were online chatting during a video conference and their ‘private’ discussion (usually about someone else on the call) had been seen by everybody. Not cool. This can potentially be upsetting to others. And can cause a very unnecessary dent to the credibility of the people involved. It also wasted a considerable amount of their time when they then had to ring all the people on the call to apologize.

Your screen being shared on a conference call is another way you can inadvertently share information you shouldn’t. You don’t want to upset others, be embarrassed by what others see on your screen, appear unprofessional or accidentally share confidential information.

Here is a short list of suggestions you should consider before you share your screen. If you do decide you need to share mid-call, take a moment and run through this checklist. Even better if you can be prepared beforehand.

Turn off your desktop notifications

Apart from it being completely distracting – there’s a good chance you don’t want everyone on a conference call to see every email that arrives in your inbox while you are sharing your screen. It can be even worse if you have the display settings for your email show the first couple of lines of text. But even the subject of an email could be confidential.

Shut down instant messaging

Regardless of whether it’s a personal app or an internal company messaging service, you don’t want messages appearing while you are sharing your screen. They take up valuable space on your screen, cover the document you are trying to share, and interrupt the flow of the discussion.

I close my instant-messaging apps whenever I am on a conference call or use the Do Not Disturb option; even if I am not planning to share my screen. I just don’t want the distraction of trying to have a conversation or make a presentation while people are sending me messages at the same time. It’s super annoying when you are trying to concentrate and you have messages coming in from every direction.

Close your windows

Apart from closing your actual windows to minimize background noise, here I’m talking about all the windows that are open on your device; Facebook, travel sites, email, presentations, the last thing you were reading, confidential material. All of them. Close them before sharing your screen. (Except what you actually want to share, of course!)

It is too easy to flick between screens and show something you don’t want to share. If they’re not open, it can’t happen. Close them down.

Open the document you want to share

As part of your preparation, open the documents you want to share before the call. If it turns out you need another document while you are on a call – stop sharing your screen during the time you are looking for it. Have a little side chat while you are setting up, rather than let your colleagues or clients see the titles of all your documents and files.

And when you’ve finished your call don’t forget to turn the screen sharing off.

Preparation of all kinds is important for effective calls and contributes to your credibility and is a positive for your reputation.

Preparing to share your screen is one more pixel of the picture (like what I did there 🙂).

Enjoy your day

 

 

 

 

This tip is based on Tip 55 ‘Prepare to share (your screen)‘ from Professional in Pajamas: 101 Tips for Working from Home.

 

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