People need mentors now more than ever. Career paths are more uncertain. AI, technology, and economic shifts are creating cultures of uncertainty; working with a mentor (or serving as one) can make a huge difference.

A mentor is an experienced person who provides guidance, support, and advice and serves as a role model for someone else. This person is often called a mentee. There are formal mentor/mentee relationships as well as informal ones.

The tremendous value of a mentor came home to me as I was reading an interview with someone who was being recognized for their positive impact in the community and country. The person being interviewed shared his gratitude for the mentors who have impacted him.

Two books that I recommend on the topic of mentoring are authored (or coauthored) by Bert Thornton, retired president and COO of Waffle House, Inc. They are Find an Old Gorilla: Pathways Through the Jungle of Business and Life and High-Impact Mentoring: A Practical Guide to Creating Value in Other People’s Lives, which is coauthored by Dr. Sherry Hartnett.

The key to any mentoring relationship is the ability of the mentee to be mentored. Here are some tips on how a mentee can maximize the mentor relationship:

1. Be specific on what you want to learn. For the relationship to work for you, what will the outcomes be a year from now?
2. Don’t wait for the mentor. Be proactive. Schedule the time to meet, send an agenda ahead of time, and lead the discussions.
3. Be open. Let the mentor know you can handle direct feedback and accept criticism and will not be defensive. Ask the mentor to be specific when they see defensiveness, excuses, etc.
4. Reach out beyond the mentor and bring learnings to the conversations and the relationship. Discuss books, articles, etc. At times, the mentor may become the mentee in some areas.
5. Be accountable. Follow through on all commitments. The mentor should not work harder on your success than you are working.

As a mentee, here are a few things you gain from a mentor:

1. Advice and navigation in your role and career. While a person can be mentored and should be learning from their boss, often a mentor is not in this role. It is someone outside the role of a direct leader who can offer guidance, including holding up the mirror.
2. A sounding board for ideas, emotional support, and encouragement.
3. Practical skills, tools, and ways to handle tough situations. I often provide mentees with a tool to help them in delegating to others. Being reluctant to delegate seems to be a common challenge with people in leadership.
4. Connections. A mentor can be very valuable in connecting a mentee to other helpful individuals and resources.

Yes, a mentee gains much from a good mentor(s). They may wonder, How can I thank the mentor? Norm Adams, a mentor of mine, said to me when I thanked him: “The one thing we will never agree on is who should be thanking whom.”

Mentors are mentors because they want to be helpful. Mentees provide mentors with that opportunity. Whether you are a mentor or a mentee, never underestimate the difference you have made, are making, and will make in the other person’s life.