Feedback and mentorship are two powerful tools that can help anyone achieve their goals and overcome their challenges. In this article, I will explain why they are important, and preview the main points of the blog: how to find the right mentors, how to ask for feedback effectively, and how to apply feedback to improve yourself.
The Importance of Feedback and Mentorship
Feedback is the process of giving or receiving information about one’s performance, behavior, or actions. It can be positive or negative, formal or informal, solicited or unsolicited. Feedback can help us:
- Identify our strengths and weaknesses
- Learn from our mistakes and successes
- Improve our skills and knowledge
- Boost our confidence and motivation
- Align our expectations and goals with others
- Build trust and rapport with others
Mentorship is the relationship between a more experienced or knowledgeable person (the mentor) and a less experienced or knowledgeable person (the mentee). The mentor provides guidance, advice, support, and resources to the mentee. Mentorship can help us:
- Gain insights and perspectives from someone who has been there before
- Access valuable networks and opportunities
- Develop specific competencies or skills
- Receive feedback and encouragement
- Avoid common pitfalls and challenges
- Grow as a professional and as a person
Preview of the Main Points of the Blog
In the next blog posts, I will share with you some tips on how to find the right mentors, how to ask for feedback effectively, and how to apply feedback to improve yourself. Here is a preview of what you can expect:
- How to find the right mentors: You will learn how to identify potential mentors in your field or industry, how to approach them with a clear purpose and value proposition, how to establish rapport and trust with them, and how to maintain a healthy and productive mentoring relationship.
- How to ask for feedback effectively: You will learn how to prepare for feedback sessions by setting goals and expectations, how to solicit feedback from different sources using various methods, how to listen actively and respectfully to feedback without getting defensive or emotional, and how to express gratitude for feedback.
- How to apply feedback to improve yourself: You will learn how to evaluate feedback critically by considering the source, context, validity, relevance, and usefulness of the information; how to prioritize feedback by focusing on the most important or urgent areas for improvement; how to implement feedback by creating action plans with SMART goals; how to monitor feedback by tracking your progress and outcomes; and how to communicate feedback by sharing your results and achievements with your mentors or other stakeholders.
How to Find the Right Mentors
A mentor is someone who can help you navigate your career, develop your skills, and achieve your goals. Finding a mentor can be challenging, but not impossible. In this article, I will share with you some steps on how to find a mentor who can support you and guide you.
Identify Your Goals and Areas of Improvement
Before you start looking for a mentor, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and what you need to work on. Having specific goals and areas of improvement can help you:
- Define the scope and purpose of the mentoring relationship
- Identify the skills, experience, and values you are looking for in a mentor
- Communicate your expectations and needs to potential mentors
- Measure your progress and outcomes with your mentor
Some questions you can ask yourself to identify your goals and areas of improvement are:
- What are my short-term and long-term career aspirations?
- What are the skills or competencies I need to develop or enhance to reach my goals?
- What are the challenges or obstacles I am facing or anticipate facing in my career?
- What are the gaps or weaknesses I need to address or overcome?
- How do I prefer to learn and receive feedback?
Research Potential Mentors Who Have the Skills, Experience, and Values You Admire
Once you have a clear picture of what you want to achieve and improve, you can start researching potential mentors who have the skills, experience, and values you admire. You can look for mentors in different places, such as:
- Your existing network: This includes your current or former colleagues, managers, peers, clients, professors, classmates, friends, or family members. These are people who already know you and your work, and who may be willing to support you or refer you to someone else.
- Your extended network: This includes people who are connected to your existing networks, such as alumni, professional associations, industry groups, online communities, or events. These are people who share some common interests or backgrounds with you, and who may be open to connecting with you.
- Your aspirational network: This includes people who are outside your immediate or extended network, but who are influential or successful in your field or industry. These are people who inspire you or challenge you, and who may be hard to reach but not impossible.
Some questions you can ask yourself to research potential mentors are:
- Who are the people who have achieved what I want to achieve or have done what I want to do?
- Who are the people who have the skills or competencies I want to develop or enhance?
- Who are the people who have faced or overcome the challenges or obstacles I am facing or anticipate facing?
- Who are the people who have the values or principles I respect or share?
- Who are the people who have the style or approach I admire or relate to?
Reach Out to Them With a Clear and Respectful Message, Expressing Your Interest and Appreciation
After you have identified some potential mentors, you need to reach out to them with a clear and respectful message, expressing your interest and appreciation. You can use different methods to contact them, such as email, phone call, social media message, or introduction by a mutual connection. The method you choose depends on how well you know them and how accessible they are.
Your message should include:
- A brief introduction of yourself: This includes your name, role, organization, background, and relevant achievements.
- Having a clear purpose for your message: This includes why you are contacting them, what you hope to gain from them, and what value you can offer them.
- Having a specific request for action: This includes what you want them to do next, such as meeting for a coffee chat, scheduling a phone call, joining a mentoring program, or connecting on LinkedIn.
- A sincere expression of gratitude: This includes thanking them for their time, attention, and consideration.
Some examples of messages you can send to potential mentors are:
Hi Jane,
I’m John Smith, a junior software engineer at ABC Inc. I’m writing to express my interest in joining the mentoring program that your company offers.
I’ve been following your work for a while and I’m impressed by your achievements as a senior software engineer at XYZ Inc. I admire your expertise in web development and your leadership skills.
I’m looking for a mentor who can help me improve my coding skills, learn new technologies, and advance my career. I believe that you would be an ideal mentor for me because of your experience and success in this field.
I would appreciate it if you could consider being my mentor in this program. I’m eager to learn from you and benefit from your guidance. I’m also willing to share my insights and perspectives as a junior software engineer.
Thank you for your time and attention. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
John Smith
Hi Mark,
I’m Lisa Jones, a marketing manager at DEF Inc. I met you at the Marketing Summit last month, where you gave a keynote speech on digital marketing strategies.
I enjoyed your speech and learned a lot from your insights and tips. I’m impressed by your track record as a digital marketing consultant and your portfolio of clients.
I’m looking for a mentor who can help me develop my digital marketing skills, expand my network, and grow my business. I think that you would be a great mentor for me because of your knowledge and reputation in this industry.
I would love to connect with you and learn more from you. Would you be interested in having a coffee chat with me next week? I’m available on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 12 pm.
Thank you for your consideration. I appreciate your time and generosity.
Best,
Lisa Jones
Build Rapport and Trust With Them Over Time, by Showing Genuine Curiosity, Gratitude, and Willingness to Learn
If your potential mentors agree to connect with you, you need to build rapport and trust with them over time, by showing genuine curiosity, gratitude, and willingness to learn. You can do this by:
- Preparing for your meetings or conversations: This includes doing your research on your mentors, setting clear objectives and agendas, preparing relevant questions or topics, and being punctual and respectful.
- Listening actively and attentively: This includes paying attention to what your mentors say, asking follow-up questions, summarizing key points, and giving feedback or comments.
- Showing appreciation and recognition: This includes thanking your mentors for their time, advice, support, and resources, acknowledging their achievements and contributions, and giving compliments or praise.
- Following up and following through: This includes sending thank-you notes or messages after your meetings or conversations, updating your mentors on your progress and outcomes, implementing their suggestions or recommendations, and asking for their feedback or input.
How to Ask for Feedback Effectively
Feedback is the process of giving or receiving information about one’s performance, behavior, or actions. It can help us identify our strengths and weaknesses, learn from our mistakes and successes, improve our skills and knowledge, and align our expectations and goals with others.
However, feedback is not always readily available or easy to obtain. Sometimes, we have to be proactive and ask for feedback from others, such as our managers, colleagues, clients, or mentors. Asking for feedback can be challenging, but not impossible. In this article, I will share with you some steps on how to ask for feedback effectively.
Prepare Specific Questions or Topics You Want Feedback on
Before you ask for feedback, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to know and why. Having specific questions or topics you want feedback on can help you:
- Focus your request and avoid vague or general questions
- Communicate your purpose and expectations to the person giving feedback
- Receive relevant and actionable feedback that meets your needs
- Measure your progress and outcomes based on the feedback
Some examples of specific questions or topics you can ask for feedback on are:
- How can I improve my presentation skills?
- What are the areas I need to work on to be ready for a promotion?
- How do you rate my performance on the last project?
- How do I come across in meetings or emails?
- What are the best practices or tips for working remotely?
Choose an Appropriate Time and Setting to Ask for Feedback
Timing and setting are important factors to consider when asking for feedback. You want to choose a time and setting that are convenient, comfortable, and conducive for both you and the person giving feedback. You can do this by:
- Asking for permission or scheduling a meeting in advance
- Choosing a time that is not too busy or stressful for either of you
- Choosing a setting that is private, quiet, and free from distractions
- Being flexible and respectful of the other person’s availability and preferences
Some examples of appropriate times and settings to ask for feedback are:
- After a meeting, project, or event that is relevant to your request
- During a one-on-one session with your manager or mentor
- Via email, phone call, or video call if face-to-face is not possible
- At the end of a performance review or appraisal cycle
Be Open-Minded and Receptive to Feedback
One of the biggest challenges of asking for feedback is being open-minded and receptive to it. Feedback can be positive or negative, expected or unexpected, agreeable or disagreeable. It can also trigger emotional reactions, such as anger, frustration, disappointment, or embarrassment. However, being open-minded and receptive to feedback can help you:
- Show respect and appreciation to the person giving feedback
- Learn from different perspectives and experiences
- Discover new opportunities or solutions
- Grow as a professional and as a person
Some tips on how to be open-minded and receptive to feedback are:
- Avoid being defensive or argumentative
- Don’t take feedback personally or as an attack
- Don’t interrupt or dismiss feedback
- Don’t make excuses or blame others
- Don’t ignore or reject feedback
Listen Actively and Attentively
Listening is a key skill when asking for feedback. Listening actively and attentively means paying attention to what the person giving feedback is saying, as well as how they are saying it. It also means showing interest, curiosity, and engagement in the conversation. Listening actively and attentively can help you:
- Understand the message and intention of the feedback
- Clarify any doubts or confusion
- Ask relevant follow-up questions
- Summarize key points
- Give feedback on the feedback
Some tips on how to listen actively and attentively are:
- Maintain eye contact and positive body language
- Nod or smile to show acknowledgment
- Use verbal cues such as “uh-huh”, “I see”, “go on”
- Ask clarifying questions such as “What do you mean by that?”, “Can you give me an example?”, “How did that make you feel?”
- Paraphrase what you heard such as “So what you’re saying is…”, “If I understand correctly…”, “Let me see if I got this right…”
Thank the Person for Their Feedback and Acknowledge Their Perspective
The last step of asking for feedback effectively is thanking the person for their feedback and acknowledging their perspective. This shows that you value their time, effort, and input and that you respect their opinion and experience. It also helps to build trust and rapport with them, which can lead to more constructive feedback in the future. You can do this by:
- Expressing gratitude sincerely and specifically
- Acknowledging their perspective without agreeing or disagreeing
- Highlighting the positive aspects of the feedback
- Sharing your perspective or experience
- Asking for their support or guidance
Some examples of how to thank the person for their feedback and acknowledge their perspective are:
- Thank you for your honest and constructive feedback. I appreciate your insights and suggestions on how I can improve my presentation skills.
- I understand your point of view and where you’re coming from. I’m sorry that my performance on the last project did not meet your expectations.
- I’m glad to hear that you liked my report and found it useful. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement.
- I see things differently, but I respect your opinion and experience. Thank you for sharing your feedback with me.
- I agree with your feedback and I want to work on it. Can you please help me or guide me on how to do that?
How to Apply Feedback to Improve Yourself
Feedback is the process of giving or receiving information about one’s performance, behavior, or actions. It can help us identify our strengths and weaknesses, learn from our mistakes and successes, improve our skills and knowledge, and align our expectations and goals with others.
However, feedback is not enough by itself. We also need to apply feedback to improve ourselves. Applying feedback means taking action based on the information we received, making changes or adjustments, and measuring the results. Applying feedback can help us:
- Address our gaps or weaknesses
- Enhance our strengths or opportunities
- Achieve our goals or objectives
- Grow as a professional and as a person
Here are some steps on how to apply feedback to improve yourself.
Review the Feedback and Identify the Key Takeaways and Action Steps
The first step of applying feedback is to review the feedback and identify the key takeaways and action steps. This means analyzing the feedback critically, considering the source, context, validity, relevance, and usefulness of the information. You can do this by:
- Sorting the feedback into categories, such as positive or negative, specific or general, factual or opinionated, etc.
- Highlighting the main points or themes of the feedback
- Identifying the areas of improvement or development
- Determining the action steps or recommendations
- Seeking clarification or examples if needed
Some questions you can ask yourself to review the feedback are:
- What is the main message or purpose of the feedback?
- What are the facts or evidence behind the feedback?
- How does the feedback relate to my goals or expectations?
- What are the benefits or consequences of following or ignoring the feedback?
- What are the specific steps or suggestions I can take based on the feedback?
Prioritize the Most Important or Urgent Areas of Improvement
The next step in applying feedback is to prioritize the most important or urgent areas of improvement. This means focusing on the feedback that has the most impact or value for your performance, growth, or satisfaction. You can do this by:
- Ranking the feedback based on its importance or urgency
- Considering your available time, resources, and support
- Balancing your short-term and long-term goals
- Choosing one or a few areas to work on at a time
- Setting realistic and achievable expectations
Some questions you can ask yourself to prioritize the areas of improvement are:
- What are the most critical or pressing issues or challenges I need to address?
- What are the most beneficial or rewarding opportunities or strengths I can leverage?
- What are the trade-offs or costs of working on different areas of improvement?
- How much time, effort, and support do I need to work on each area of improvement?
- How will I know if I have improved in each area?
Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) Goals for Yourself Based on the Feedback
The third step of applying feedback is to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals for yourself based on the feedback. This means creating clear and concrete objectives that guide your actions and track your progress. You can do this by:
- Using specific and descriptive language to define your goals
- Utilizing quantifiable and observable indicators to measure your goals
- Applying realistic and attainable criteria to evaluate your goals
- Using meaningful and motivating reasons to pursue your goals
- Trying specific and realistic deadlines to complete your goals
Some examples of SMART goals based on feedback are:
- I will improve my presentation skills by attending a public speaking workshop by next month.
- I will increase my sales performance by 10% by following up with 5 new leads every week.
- I will enhance my communication skills by sending clear and concise emails to my clients and colleagues.
- I will develop my leadership skills by volunteering for a cross-functional project by next quarter.
- I will boost my productivity by using a time management app to track and prioritize my tasks.
Seek Support and Resources to Help you Achieve Your Goals
The fourth step of applying feedback is to seek support and resources to help you achieve your goals. This means finding ways to learn, improve, and overcome challenges along the way. You can do this by:
- Seeking guidance or advice from mentors, coaches, peers, or experts
- Getting feedback or encouragement from managers, colleagues, clients, or friends
- Learning opportunities such as books, courses, tools, or events
- Finding solutions or alternatives for problems or obstacles
- Seeking recognition or rewards for achievements or milestones
Some questions you can ask yourself to seek support and resources are:
- Who can help me or teach me how to achieve my goals?
- Who can give me more feedback or encouragement along the way?
- What can I read, watch, listen, or do to learn more or improve my skills?
- What can I do if I encounter difficulties or setbacks?
- What can I do to celebrate or reward myself for my progress or success?
Track Your Progress and Celebrate Your Achievements Along the Way
The final step of applying feedback is to track your progress and celebrate your achievements along the way. This means monitoring your actions and outcomes, evaluating your results, and acknowledging your efforts. You can do this by:
- Keeping a record or journal of your activities and accomplishments
- Measuring your performance or improvement using your SMART goals
- Comparing your current state with your previous state or desired state
- Seeking feedback or validation from others on your progress or success
- Recognizing or rewarding yourself for your hard work or achievements
Some questions you can ask yourself to track your progress and celebrate your achievements are:
- What have I done or achieved so far?
- How have I improved or changed since I received the feedback?
- How close am I to reaching my goals or expectations?
- What do others think or say about my progress or success?
- How do I feel about myself and my work?
Finding the right mentors can help you gain insights and perspectives from someone who has been there before, access valuable networks and opportunities, develop specific competencies or skills, receive feedback and encouragement, and avoid common pitfalls and challenges.
Asking for feedback effectively can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, learn from your mistakes and successes, improve your skills and knowledge, boost your confidence and motivation, and align your expectations and goals with others.
Applying feedback to improve yourself can help you address your gaps or weaknesses, enhance your strengths or opportunities, achieve your goals or objectives, and grow as a professional and as a person.
Feedback and mentorship are powerful tools that can help you grow and thrive. By following the steps and tips we have shared in this blog, you can make the most of these tools and become the best version of you.
Thank you for reading this blog. We hope you have enjoyed it and learned something valuable from it. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them with us. We would love to hear from you.