Mgmt Tip of the Day: Mentor-free mentoring

The Management Tip of the Day offers quick,practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org. Mentoring can turn a newcomer into a productive asset much faster.

A mentor is a great resource for career advice,feedback,and help building your skills and capabilities. However,it’s not always possible to find one person who has the time or expertise to help you with all of the above. Try these two approaches to getting the mentoring you need:

1. Ask senior leaders for advice. Reach out to a leader you respect for advice or coaching on a specific work challenge. Busy people are more likely to have an hour to spend with you than to be able to commit to a long-term mentoring relationship.

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2. Create an input board. Line up a group of colleagues who are willing to give you day-to-day feedback on things like the clarity of a presentation or whether or not you should take an issue to your boss. This type of quick,frequent input can be especially valuable when it comes from a group with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

– Today’s Management Tip was adapted from Finding a Mentor on the Ask the Expert: Tammy Erickson board of the HBR Answer Exchange.