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Here is a simple, but extraordinary, list of questions to use when talking with your mentor. These are thinking questions. In other words, these questions will help you get inside the mind of your mentor.
And … stick around, the best part is yet to come.
Extraordinary Questions to Ask Your Mentor
- What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?
- If you wanted to encourage innovative ideas, how would you go about it?
- How would you describe your personal style?
- How do you give credit where credit is due?
- If you wanted to create an environment where motivation can thrive, what’s the first thing you would do?
- How do you show others that you believe in them?
- Who has influenced you the most?
- What do you do to challenge your underlying beliefs, paradigms and assumptions?
- What would you do differently if given the opportunity?
- When is breaking the rules okay?
- What does working ‘on’ your business mean to you?
- What does empowerment mean to you?
- How and where do you find inspiration?
- If you wanted to find the second best answer to a question or problem, what technique would you use?
- Why do you do what you do?
- How do you approach the unknown?
- How do you keep your feelings from clouding your decision-making?
- What’s the best way to keep your eye on future results?
- How do you bring courage and conviction to risky situations?
- What values are you committed to?
- What do you do to live a balanced life?
- What are 5 key books you feel I should read, and why?
- What dreams and goals inspired you to succeed?
Okay, are you ready? Here’s the fun part. It’s time to ask yourself these questions. And this is what this post is really about.
I mean seriously, how can you justify asking anyone anything about who they are and how they think if you haven’t asked yourself the same questions? And arrived at some honest, introspective answers?
(Comments welcome.)
A great mentor can be the difference between success and failure.
Buy the book!
7 Surefire Ways To Ask Someone To Be Your Mentor
Scripts, Tips and Tactics For Getting A Mentor
by Theresa Bradley-Banta
A BigFishTopDogs.com Publication
Other great resources for asking someone to be your mentor:
You… Just Like Clark Kent. Glasses… No Glasses.
How To Ask Someone to Be Your Mentor By Email – Part II of The Joel Comm Project
Are You Ready for a Mentor? Will a Mentor Be a Good Fit?
Approaching Someone to be Your Mentor
How to Ask Someone to Be Your Mentor
Top 5 Ways to Find a Mentor
5 Top Strategies for Asking Someone to Be Your Mentor
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Theresa,
This was great!
When I asked myself these questions I found something interesting. I have the idea of what I should be doing in these instances but I was not actually doing them. Hmmm. These look and my self posts!
The good thing is that this makes a very nice checklist for looking to see just how I am doing .Maybe a monthly check up would be in order.
Sheila Atwood recently posted..Finally! The Year Of The Rabbit
Glad to see you have the idea in your mind already. That’s pretty awesome Sheila. Doing them should be the easy part. If you can think it you can create it, no problem.
I think it’s pretty cool that you would keep this as a checklist. Thanks! Here’s another idea… it’s really interesting to read this list with a particular person in mind. For example, I imagined myself asking my Mom these questions (as a result of a very fun twitter conversation this morning). Wow — just the thought of it was amazing. Now I can’t wait to hear her answers! She’s one of my best mentors and a wonderful source of inspiration. Fun idea, huh?
Always such a pleasure to hear from you Sheila. You’re the best. Thanks for your comment!
~Theresa
Wow, Theresa, you weren’t kidding when you said these were going to be thinking questions!
I was, attentively and gleefully, moving right on down the list and then I came to “When is it okay to break the rules?” That one stopped me in my tracks. I immediately wanted to scream out, “Never!!” Know why? By nature and by conviction (and by all the lessons I gleaned from my parents), I’m not a rule-breaker or a risk-taker. I don’t mean “risk-taker” in the sense of starting your own business, for example. I mean more in the sense of jumping off the bridge if all your friends are going to jump. Nope. Not me. Too risky.
As I read each and every question, I thought about one my own mentors and how she would answer them. And now I’m so darned curious, I’m tempted to send her this list and wait for her reply.
Great idea to ask your mom these questions — love the way you “think”!
Melanie Kissell recently posted..4 Ways to Identify Your Ideal Prospect
lol! My Mom used to say that a lot … “If all of your friends jumped off a cliff would you do it too?”
I believe that some ‘rules’ are not rules at all, they are just accepted practices. And some become archaic, like wearing white after Labor Day. ‘Breaking the rules’ can simply mean having permission to look at something differently. That’s one twist, anyway.
‘Attentively and gleefully’ … what a vivid description Melanie. I loved your comment, I certainly can relate to what you wrote. Thank you!
~Theresa
P.S. Theresa, I’m about to do a series of interviews and your list (and signature genius!) has provided me with some of the greatest interview questions imaginable. I couldn’t possibly come up with a more compelling list. Thank You! By the way, I’m a big fan of re-purposing and I’ll be darned if I’m going to let these sit around and collect dust on my notepad.
Melanie Kissell recently posted..I Don’t Care if Your Only Talent is Loading up the Perfect Pencil Holder with Pencils
Oh Melanie! Signature genius? You made my week! Wow! I’m really looking forward to hearing more about your interviews. Thanks for the awesome compliment!
~Theresa
Well, it’s true, Theresa, and I say … If the shoe fits, wear it!
Melanie Kissell recently posted..The Blog Challenge Is Over – Now What
Hi Theresa
Wow… what a list of questions to ask yourself.
One that I had to think about:
“If you wanted to find the second best answer to a question or problem, what technique would you use?”
It’s rather like the situation Public Speakers face when they ask…
“Would anyone like to ask the first question?”
If there is no response, you have to say:
“OK… would anyone like to ask the second question?”
Time to take another look at that list.
Keith Davis recently posted..Chocolat…
Keith – What a wonderful way to put your audience at ease! It’s absolutely brilliant! I’m definitely going to remember that. In fact, this is just flat out a great technique in all kinds of situations.
Humor is magic, isn’t it?
~Theresa
Hi Theresa
I wish that I could lay claim to that technique but I can’t.
It’s still something we can all use.
Guaranteed that after the audience laugh, someone will ask a question.
Absolutely guaranteed.
The humour releases the tension.
Keith Davis recently posted..Chocolat…
Sorry Theresa
I meant to say that I have just published a guest post by Marcus the Sales Lion.
If you get a minute, please support him with one of your super comments.
The CommentLuv plugin is not showing his post yet but just go to my blog main page and you’ll find it.
It’s a great post.
Keith Davis recently posted..Chocolat…
With pleasure! And here’s the link:
Speech Writing… the Marcus Method
Thanks for passing this along. I’m on my way to read it and I hope others follow!
Thanks Theresa
Great comment, as usual.
Keith
Keith Davis recently posted..Speech Writing… the Marcus Method
It’s funny Theresa, as I was moving down the list I thought to myself, “Geez, I think the person asking the question should be answering them first, these are deep!”
And then, of course, you confirmed my thoughts with the last paragraph…I guess great minds think alike Theresa
Seriously though, great questions here that one really should be able to answer. By so doing, you can really start to get a much better feel for the true ‘You’.
Marcus
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion recently posted..Why You Should Start Writing- Stop Hiding- and Quit Worrying About the Competition
I think it’s fabulous that you were thinking the same thing Marcus! Sometimes it seems the prevailing attitude is “do me”. As in, “don’t make think, figure it out for me and tell me what to do.”
If we don’t answer questions like these for ourselves, how can we even begin to choose the right mentor? I’ll confess I’m still working on a couple of these. For example, I don’t have a list of my very top 5 books yet. And sometime, the answers are fluid … they change with experience and maturity (for sure!). Thanks for your comment!
~Theresa
You always have something fresh and exciting Theresa. Another awesome post idea, wish I would have thought of it first. Mentors are only as good as the information you get from them, and asking it the easiest way to get that information.
Extreme John recently posted..How Using Twitter Landed My Business on a Reality TV Show
Thanks Extreme John! Your comment is a great one because it inspires action. You can have a mentor you admire from afar, and try to emulate that mentors actions, etc., but why not ask them for information, support and guidance? Sometimes it can be as simple as having some questions to ask. And someone like you who brings the point home — if you want information, ask for it! Thanks so much for your comment!
~Theresa
Really great post, Theresa. It’s one of those “things that make you go… hmmm.”
I found I was cruising through the questions, formulating thoughts but not necessarily words. Like flashes of recognition, a situation, an action taken. That’s okay, I thought. And then I came to this one:
If you wanted to find the second best answer to a question or problem, what technique would you use?
Second best answer? What an interesting question! Now why would I want to find the second best answer. Hmmm. (See what I mean?)
Perhaps the first one is unachievable for some reason. Too expensive… would take too long… involves someone else that’s not compelled to share in it…?
Then I realized that if those were the cases, it couldn’t possibly be the best answer, so I kept thinking about it. Finally it dawned on me!
How would I come up with the second best answer? By finding the best answer and then a plan B! I’ve always been a big believer in having a plan B. LOL.
It’s like that joke about the kid watching people try to unstick a truck that was a bit too tall to go under a bridge and got slightly wedged before it stopped. They couldn’t figure out how to get it unstuck without more damage to the truck or the bridge. Then the kid said, “Hey, why don’t you just let some of the air out of the tires?”
Deb Augur recently posted..To Thank Or Not To Thank rtty
lol Deb! Letting the air out of the tires! That’s brilliant. I love how you write. It’s been so fun to receive comments that describe the process of reading my post. Wow! Like Melanie, who was ‘attentively and gleefully, moving right on down the list’… and Keith, who also stopped and thought about the question that inspired your comment. And Marcus, who was thinking, shouldn’t the person asking these questions be answering these questions? (And I’m not 100% sure he wasn’t thinking of ME. Hah hah. Yes, I’ve actually seriously thought about these questions.)
I love how you were ‘cruising through the questions’ with ‘flashes of recognition’. Your comment is just too fun! Seriously. You took the best answer completely apart and arrived at plan B. Another approach to this would be akin to turning a picture upside down. What do you see? Suddenly the negative space becomes clear. The colors seem to be different from your first impression. The image completely changes. And yet, it is still the same picture, isn’t it? And was it really the right answer to begin with? Or just art?
Having a plan B is a perfect thought! And, what if plan B suddenly became the best answer?
~Theresa
Ooh … Theresa! You’re getting the coolest bloggers stopping by.
Deb Augur is a keeper! And I’m so glad Keith Davis mentioned Marcus Sheridan. I’m hosting a blogging campaign at the moment and I’ve made Marcus’s post, “13 Guaranteed Ways to Blog and be Totally Miserable” recommended reading.
Keith has a keen understanding of the “ripple” effect in blogging.
Your blog rocks!
Melanie Kissell recently posted..Social Media- Express More Vulnerability
Oh! I know! I know! Deb is one of the coolest bloggers. Didn’t you just love her comment? THIS is worth repeating — Deb wrote, “Perhaps the first one is unachievable for some reason. Too expensive… would take too long… involves someone else that’s not compelled to share in it…?” Not compelled to share in it. That is worth a post in itself.
Melanie, it is so awesome that you are using Marcus’s post. Yippy! Now, this is what connecting is all about! I feel like I could just skip around the block.
You made my day (again) Melanie. Thank you!
~Theresa
Theresa – I’m skipping around and doing the happy dance with ya!
I’ve known Deb for quite a while and I resonated, instantly, with her marketing messages, her blog, and her dynamic personality … the minute we connected.
And now …
I can tell people the same things about you.
Melanie Kissell recently posted..Social Media- Express More Vulnerability
Hi Melanie! So, when was the last time you skipped?
I’m glad to know that you and Deb go back for a while. She designed my very first web site in November 2003! And I took some courses from her back then too. She knows her stuff and she has a fabulous amount of experience. It’s good to have good friends in common, isn’t it?
Okay you two! You’ve got me blushing now. LOL! I have great admiration and respect for both of you, as well! Much love.
Deb Augur recently posted..To Thank Or Not To Thank rtty
You’re darn tootin’ it is, Theresa — a true blessing. I wonder who else we both may know … and don’t even know it!
Melanie Kissell recently posted..Social Media- Express More Vulnerability
OMG! What a very tough questions to ask one’s self…a sure mind opener! After answering those questions, I feel like I really have to learn more and to double time because time flies fast. Thanks for waking me up and back to my senses again.
anne @ shitzu puppies recently posted..Shitzu Puppies Shitzu Puppy
I know, these are REALLY tough questions! And we don’t have to know it all. And here’s the really cool thing. I know that when I come back and read these questions 5 years from now, or 10 years, I probably won’t have the same answers!
We’ll always, always have more to learn. What I love about your attitude Anne is that you are enjoying the process!
~Theresa
I’m about to do a series of interviews and your list (and signature genius!) has provided me with some of the greatest interview questions imaginable. I couldn’t possibly come up with a more compelling list. Thanks for the post.
Smith John recently posted..How do i win the lottery?
When I asked myself these questions I found something interesting. I have the idea of what I should be doing in these instances but I was not actually doing them. Hmmm. These look and my self posts!
Stephen Mills recently posted..How to do forex trading
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