6 ways to get a mentor...

1. If you’re an entrepreneur, first identify the gaps in your knowledge – key areas that need filling in as you traverse from A-B.

2. Consider if there is anyone within your social group or business network who has the knowledge and experience you need and ask them politely for a coffee so you can pick their brains.

3. If there is a good chemistry there, consider asking them if they would be your mentor – maybe after a few more ad-hoc sessions. Make sure you develop a clear set of goals about what exactly it is that you are trying to achieve. Leadership performance coach Alex Moyle says a good mentor is there to guide you: ‘They are standing side-by-side with you, not pushing from behind or pulling from in front,’ he says.

4. Consider payment or a slice of equity in your business if you feel their commitment needs to be substantial – or if their knowledge will clearly be instrumental in making a success of your business.

5. If you’re in a corporate environment, ask HR if there is a mentoring programme you could benefit from. ‘These are designed to encourage people a level or two higher than you to mentor highpotential individuals,’ says Alex.

6. If there isn’t one, a good family friend who has lots of business experience could be a potential mentor; likewise, there could be someone you know in the business who is senior to you – but crucially, not higher up your direct line of command – that you might be able to get ad-hoc help from. These are the people to turn to for help with the unwritten, political issues for which there is often no definitive right or wrong.