There is nothing to fear, the monster on the right is an amalgam of the qualities you should look for in a mentor. Katie Puckett explains how he was put together.
If your biggest project is veering wildly off course, your manager doesn鈥檛 understand you and you鈥檙e not sure where your career is going, what you need is a mentor.
Business leaders swear by mentoring. It can be defined as a one-to-one relationship with someone more experienced, with whom you can discuss your career or even your personal life. It鈥檚 not only for young people, but it is invaluable early on in your career.
鈥淎sk anyone who鈥檚 been there 鈥� if they鈥檝e had a mentor, they remember them all their working lives,鈥� says Julia Evans, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders and a long-time fan of mentoring.
Many companies have set up mentoring programmes, but if there鈥檚 somebody you know from a different company or a different field, you could approach them. It definitely shouldn鈥檛 be your line manager.
Mentoring isn鈥檛 to be confused with coaching, which tends to focus on specific work issues 鈥� sessions are relaxed and you should feel able to discuss anything. What you get out of it will depend on your relationship with your mentor, so pick wisely.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be comfortable with them 鈥� if you don鈥檛 get on with your mentor, you might as well pack up and go home,鈥� advises Evans. 鈥淗ave a meeting with them before you engage in a formal relationship 鈥� you may have to try several people.鈥�
You鈥檒l probably meet up with your mentor every few months, but what qualities does he or she need? These six traits 鈥� suggested by industry leaders and exemplified by the famous faces and body parts that make up Frankenstein鈥檚 mentor 鈥� are a decent start 鈥�
Suggested by Julia Evans, chief executive, National Federation of Builders
1. Business-like
鈥淚t鈥檚 a skilled activity, not just somebody with more experience talking to someone with less experience 鈥� that can be disastrous. But it鈥檚 not a therapeutic relationship, it鈥檚 got to have structure and direction. It鈥檚 semi-formal 鈥� comfortable but businesslike. People think all they鈥檝e got to do is tell old war stories when it鈥檚 really about helping the person to solve problems themselves.鈥�
Suggested by Michael Thirkettle, chief executive, McBains Cooper
2. Calm
鈥淭hey need the calmness, resolve and organisation to deal with issues without getting into a flap. Mentoring can be frustrating. The last thing you want is somebody who runs around panicking. When people arrive in a state, a mentor should be able to say 鈥榮it down, these things happen 鈥︹�� Inside you might be having butterflies but you鈥檝e got to be outwardly calm. And if there鈥檚 any element of arrogance, forget it.鈥�
Suggested by Mike Nightingale, chairman, Nightingale Associates
3. Inspirational
鈥淵ou want someone who鈥檚 aspirational, who鈥檒l inspire and encourage rather than preach. I would speak to somebody, look at what they鈥檝e done. If they鈥檝e had an inspiring career and they鈥檙e charismatic, they鈥檙e more likely to help you than if they鈥檙e deadpan. You鈥檙e looking for a character 鈥� well, I would be anyway. Someone else might be looking for sensible advice or a stabilising influence. It depends what you want out of it, it鈥檚 completely individual.鈥�
Suggested by John Spanswick, chairman, Bovis Lend Lease
4. Good listener
鈥淵ou need somebody who鈥檚 going to sit there and listen to whatever issues you have, sometimes work, sometimes private. People just want to get it off their chest. Hopefully then they鈥檒l be able to point you in the right direction about the options you have and what to do from their own experience. I鈥檝e always had somebody I鈥檇 consider a mentor. We all tend to get things out of perspective and it鈥檚 good to talk to somebody about it. It helps you see things in a different light.鈥�
Suggested by Steve McGuckin, development director, Land Securities
5. Straight talker
鈥淎 mentor should be honest and straight talking. They should tell you about reality, but guide you, not direct you. They should not be your line manager or have much influence over your short-to-medium-term prospects. They should have some experience of your intended career path, but what worked for them might not be appropriate for you or for the present day 鈥� so learn the lessons but do not try to copy them.鈥�
Suggested by Tony Vasishta, development director, Tesco
6. Well connected
鈥淚t鈥檚 useful to be mentored by people who鈥檝e got a lot of connections. Look out for someone who鈥檚 active in a lot of forums. They鈥檝e got to make time for you as well, to be interested in development rather than just a free dinner every six months. You can get a feel for who is like this because their people will talk them up 鈥� they鈥檒l say 鈥楽o and so is really good with his or her people鈥�. And it needs to be someone you can have a personal relationship with, not just someone who drops pearls of wisdom and then leaves you to get on with it. Look for role models who are successful 鈥� I was fortunate to have really good directors mentoring me. It definitely makes a difference 鈥� it鈥檚 the people who have mentors who get ahead.鈥�
Frankenstein's mentors revealed
The six mentors in the composite image are as follows:
1 Business-like - Bill Gates (head)
2 Calm - Dalai Lama (body)
3 Inspirational - David Beckham (legs)
4 Good listener - Michael Parkinson (ear)
5 Straight Talker - Simon Cowell (mouth)
6 Well connected - Paris Hilton (handbag)
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