Career Q&A: How do you ask someone to mentor you? And find a good fit?
This Episode's QuestionI have a question about finding a mentor. I hear consistently that it's an exceptional tool for professional development. I'm not sure where to find one...and if I do find one, how can I make sure they're a good fit? What You'll Learn - How to ask a mentor for their time without offending them. - A way of thinking about mentor "fit" that feels the same way you decide whether a friend fits your style. - 4 non-mentor relationships that can have mentor-like outcomes for you. - The secret sauce of a BBF. - Why offering to buy coffee could cost your mentor $3,000. - How asking to "pick your brain" could annoy a potential mentor. - Simple exchanges, requests, and relationship building "asks" that let you build a mentorship without asking them to move into your house during your first conversation. Tweetable of the Episode Remember to be a giver with your mentors, not just a taker. You have value they need. Resource of the Episode Book: 52 Strategies for Life, Love & Work: Transforming Your Life One Week at a Time by Anne Grady, my BBF.
Om Podcasten
Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper help you lead teams, build your work culture, and improve relationships with CliftonStrengths A.K.A StrengthsFinder.
The "Lead Through Strengths" podcast was created for you if you're ready to stop taking the "path of most resistance" at work and in life.
It sounds silly, yet it happens all the time when people get focused on fixing their weaknesses. It doesn't have to be so hard. Stop focusing on what's broken about you.
Lisa Cummings, one host, is a Gallup Certified Strengths Performance Coach, so she brings you a wealth of corporate wisdom, combined with Gallup research. She's also certified by the Life Coach School and has an MBA, so she brings a good combo of business and coaching.
Brea Roper, your other host, is also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She is incredible at helping you cast a vision for your future - using your natural talents. She's especially talented at leading personal retreats in Kansas City, MO (and she will travel).
Many episodes are educational Q&A from our corporate clients. They're usually questions we get in our StrengthsFinder corporate workshops. Over 34 Million people have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment.
With this show, you'll learn how to find your strengths and put them to work. If you manage a team, you'll hear ideas for leading your so your colleagues can come to work feeling more energized and engaged.
We publish by season.
Season 1: Career Q&A
Season 2: Strengths Interviews
Season 3: StrengthsFinder Q&A (also known as CliftonStrengths assessment)
Season 4: Team Building 12 Week Strengths Challenge
Season 5: One StrengthsFinder Talent Theme Per Week: Career Branding Adjectives for your personal brand, red flag situations for that talent theme, and action items to put that talent to use
Season 6: Nine Core Concepts of Strengths
Season 7: Facilitator Interviews (because, who needs Lisa only - we have lots of other great StrengthsFinder trainers for you)
Season 8: CliftonStrengths Customer Q&A
Season 9: The Foundations of Strengths and Mindset
Season 10: Coach the Coach - Brea and Lisa help you build your independent coaching practice, or implement strengths into your work culture
There's a lot of confusion about the name of the assessment because it is difficult to spell (or put the singular/plural in the right spot), and it has changed names. All of these are the same survey tool: StrengthsFinder 2.0, StrengthsFinders, StrengthFinders, StrengthFinder, StrengthsFinder, Clifton Strengths, CliftonStrengths, Clifton StrengthsFinder.
Despite the difficulty with the word, the content all points to Strengths Based Development and leadership using StrengthsFinder with your team.
In addition: here are some hot topic areas covered by audience questions so far:
Getting promoted;
discovering your strengths;
differentiating yourself;
coaching and feedback;
marketing, branding, and promoting yourself;
getting unstuck;
developing your direct reports;
noticing what works on your team;
connecting and networking;
personal leadership;
politics and perceptions at the office;
getting viewed as an A player;
building trust and influence at work or in your industry;
being a people-leader that you want to be, even when you're short on time;
how to get your creative mojo back;
understanding how your EQ (emotional intelligence) is more important than your IQ at work;
stuff you didn't learn in business school that's hurting your career; getting unstuck and un-trapped;
being a better leader;
solving problems;
getting past confusion;
aligning your mind, body, and purpose in life;
managing major life transitions;
and taking a minute to reflect on what you really want in life