My first mentor taught me how to make a lot more money playing poker.
His advice included invaluable ideas that I still use today, like to never dwell on setbacks.
David’s system was the One Drink Vent. He’d say, “When something goes against you, find a friend who cares and complain about it to them for the time it takes to drink one adult beverage. When your glass is empty, the topic is done and in the past.”
Finding a mentor is the quickest route to success because you replace trial and error with the certainty of someone who’s done all the legwork for you.
This is not about finding one mentor who reveals the meaning of life to you, but instead using mentors to fill skill gaps, help with specific challenges and move you forward in a new area. The idea applies if you’ve been in your current role for 20 days or 20 years.
The good news is that most people who are successful want to share their wisdom and help others improve.
A great example is a guy I worked with who wanted to do bigger deals. He was stuck at the same level and didn’t know how to move forward. So, I introduced him to the leading salesperson in his organisation and they met. He later told me he got more from that one-hour meeting than he did from a year of trial and error on his own.
To make mentoring work for you, here’s what you need to do:
👉 Get into the right mindset. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of wanting to do better.
👉 Decide on the specific thing you need help with, such as a specific project or task. This will help to guide the person who’s giving you advice.
👉 Find the right person to ask. Start within your own company or organisation before looking further afield.
Ask them clearly for help and be specific about what you need – and I’d always recommend including lunch!
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