In her article, “Learn by Connecting – Don’t’ Ignore your Best Teachers,” keynote speaker and connection expert, Colette Carlson, suggests a different approach for protégés searching for a mentor. (HINT: The information applies to mentors too!)
“Whether protégé or mentor, when cultivating connections, diversity matters to maximize learning and growth,” Colette said. We most commonly gravitate towards people that are most like us. There is great value in being diverse when selecting the people you surround yourself with, including your mentor. Selecting someone who is different than you will bring greater perspective, different experiences, and unique insight.
Our challenge for you is to select a mentor, or protégé, that is not like you. Take a few moments to think about everyone who has impacted your life— personally and professionally. Was everyone exactly like you? Most likely not. You have nothing to lose when selecting your next mentor, but you do have a “massive perspective shift” to gain!
