Executives often mentor upcoming employees who themselves are on track to become future corporate leaders. In doing so, they would do well to let the protégé set priorities of their career path and the relationship.
That’s the conclusion of a recent Kellogg Insight piece based on the research of Diane Brink, a senior fellow and adjunct professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Brink said letting the protégé set the agenda helps steer him or her toward a career path of genuine interest, rather than something that is dictated by the mentor.
“You’re going to have a lot of people providing their point of view on what you should be doing with your career, and it’s not their decision,” Brink is quoted in the piece as saying.
A mentor that makes the mentee’s agenda a priority helps the person take ownership of his or her career path. By doing so, the mentor also doesn’t have to face the pressure of knowing all the answers about the right career choices.
In other words, the pieces notes, steering a mentee toward following his or her gut is ultimately a better way to guide the person.
The full piece—”5 Ways to Get the Most Out of a Mentor-Protégé Relationship”—can be accessed at this link.