Ask Someone To Be Your Mentor

The Ask:

DO NOT ask via email!  In your face to face meeting you will share with them:

• You respect and admire them and their work
• Communicate your desire to learn and grow from their knowledge and skills. Make sure you let them know you are asking them to guide you and that you would work with a framework that provides structure and a measurable outcome. 

Remember it is so important to convey that you have a framework to follow. 

• One of the biggest reasons people decline to mentor is they are unclear as to the investment they are being asked to make. Confirm with them your willingness to do the work and follow-through. 
• Make sure to thank them no matter the outcome of the ask. If they decline do not let this be the end of your relationship with them or it will seem as though you were not genuinely interested in building a relationship but merely getting something out of it for yourself.  
• If they have agreed to the mentorship then provide them with the PRISM Mentor Preparation Worksheet to be reviewed at your first meeting.

The PRISM Platform includes some sample mentoring frameworks you can use with your mentor.  The benefit is they will have a better understanding what you are asking and expecting of them.