Have you ever been the kid in school who may have skipped on the homework every now and then and got caught by your teacher? Or have you ever been the professional who joined a meeting and came up with creative answers to cover up the fact that you have barely prepared for that meeting?

I am guilty of both and somehow, I got away with it. But honestly, I am not particularly proud of it. I prefer the types of meetings, where I can share valuable insights and nail the answer spot on. I hope you are thinking to yourself right now: yes girl, I have been there, and I totally feel you.

When it comes to finding a mentor, you will not get away without doing the pre-work. Identifying the right mentor for your SMART goal requires a solid plan. In his New York Times Bestseller “Principles” Ray Dalio outlines the importance of designing a rock-solid plan when it comes to achieving a goal. He states that you must “go back before you go forward” and when it comes to finding a mentor this is what I refer to as doing your homework. In this case,

your homework is setting you up for success!

Last week I outlined how to create a shortlist of the “who do you know” by introducing a 70-20-10 strategy framework that enables you to create a list of mentors that you can approach to achieve your SMART goal. Once you have created your mentor shortlist, I now give you the permission to become an official

mentor stalker = an individual who is studying the achievements of a desired mentor!

This means that before we embark on one of the most important steps of the 10-step Mentorship Masterplan (step 5: “getting connected to the mentor”), you must create a deep understanding of the mentor you desire. I am going to help you with this by sharing the 3 Ws for the win.

3 Ws for the win

Before reaching out to the mentor you should do your homework and answer three W-questions, I label these as the 3 Ws for the win. The win in this case is that the mentor decides to work with you. A proper research will allow you to

a) create a value exchange and

b) an emotional connection with the desired mentor.

pro tip:

Use the clean-sheet method and answer the following W-questions.

who?

Who is your desired mentor? Refer to the 70-20-10 strategy on making a shortlist of appropriate mentors in line with your SMART goal.

Your aim should be to be clear of who you are researching in depth. The 70-20-10 strategy may have enabled you to pinpoint multiple mentors, I would however recommend selecting solely a pool of 3 mentors who you are planning to approach.

why?

How is your mentor directly linked to your goal? To answer this question, consider the mentor’s career path and any research/ articles published. Secondly, answer what are the insights and the value the mentor’s background can provide you with when it comes to achieving your goal?

Your aim should be to find someone whose career path you plan to duplicate. Example: If you would like to work as a marketeer in the FMCG industry, you should turn to a mentor who has a strong marketing track record, ideally at the company of your choice.

where?

Analyze the desired mentor’s online presence. This entails:

Social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube)
Online publications on Company website, Forbes, Bloomberg, Wallstreet Journal, MarketWatch, The New York Times, The Financial Times, etc.

Once you have identified these channels you can become a true mentor stalker. I now give you permission to embark on a research journey.

This means that you will have a close look at the mentor’s online presence by channel to create a mentor set card.

mentor setcard = professional summary of who your mentor is & what he/she focuses on

Every channel allows to garner different information. For instance, LinkedIn is “the career path how to”, where as Instagram and Facebook act as “the interest analyzer”. Here is a break-down what to look for in each channel:

now why is it important to do this task?

When advancing to step 5 of the Mentorship Masterplan, which is “getting connected with your mentor”, you have one shot. And you want to make sure that you are not missing that shot!

Look at it this way: Any successful business individual is getting a lot of inquiries on LinkedIn to provide mentorship guidance, but busy work-schedules dominated by back-to-back meetings will only provide limited availability to engage with mentees. Thus, mentors are forced to carefully select who they dedicate their time to.

In an ocean of highly qualified mentees who all seek to get the best mentor, you want to ensure that you are the chosen one!

how are you the chosen one?

Simply by following what I am sharing with you and that is to do your homework. To sum up, the necessary research steps to execute before contacting a mentor comprise:

Answering the 3 Ws for the win
Researching the channel presence
Creating a mentor setcard

Implementing these three exercises will enable you to write a compelling E-mail to the desired mentor as to why you two should catch up for an exchange. It will empower you to address exactly what the mentor is working on and interested in. Thus, you can provide relevant information that you have read or worked on and share it with the mentor. As result you are NOT asking for something, but instead you are providing VALUE! This will differentiate you from other mentees’ inquiries, simply because

providing value is your door opener when it comes to asking a mentor to work with you.

In next week’s Monday Minutes I will outline exactly how you can apply your conducted research in writing an compelling E-mail to the mentor of your choice.

It is almost half-time champions! We are reaching step 5 of the 10 step Mentorship Masterplan and I cannot wait to see you winning.

Monday Minutes are my personal & independent reflections for inspirational purposes only. They are not professional career advice, they simply outline my experience & advice that has been shared with me and helped me personally.

it starts with doing your homework!