Mentor, Get One and Build Your Executive Potential

Q. I'm in my 40's and have been with my company about 12 years. I've moved ahead

pretty well, but I seem to have leveled off. How can get on an even faster track to upper management? —Eleanor M.

A. You're in a better situation than ever right now, because most companies are looking for good people to take on more responsibility. At the same time, there are fewer executive jobs available because of downsizing and the general trend toward leaner staffs to run a company.

Let's begin with some basic assumptions about you and your career:

• You're really good at what you do; you have a track record of outstanding performance in a variety of assignments in your career.

• You're able to make a strong commitment to your career, and are willing to

work 50-60 hrs a week if needed—at least in times of crisis.

• You've got the skills and educational credentials needed for an executive in your field:

CPA or MBA, for example.

• You're good at establishing solid relationships quickly, and you network well.

• You're consistently seen as an effective leader among your peers and subordinates; people naturally look to you for support and advice.

• The products or services in your field are in stronger demand than ever, with

continued growth expected for the next 10-20 years.

• You’ve talked to your boss about your long-term goals with the company and the boss

supports you.

A Mentor is a Must

The next step is to get a mentor—someone who's already a successful executive in the company and who knows how to get things accomplished in the executive suite. You'll want someone who's at least a vice-president or director. You can't force your way into upper management—you need to be invited, and someone at that level has to sponsor you—advocate for you.

Consider your own network as one route to identify a mentor. You might explore your close working relationships with mid-level managers who also have the ear of someone in higher management. Ask the manager to speak for you to the higher-up for advice on whom you might contact—and how— to ask for a mentoring relationship. Ideally, the higher-up will sound out the prospective mentor's interest, and introduce you.

What Do You Want?

You should have a clear objective of what you want from the mentoring relationship—and how long you want it to last. Here are some of the most common things that mentors do:

• Offer encouragement in difficult assignments

• Offer career advice—where and how you should move to your next steps and maybe

help you draw up a year-by-year plan for your development.

• Share their knowledge about executive development within the company

• Guide you in getting things done effectively in solving company problems

• Define and encourage productive attitudes/behaviors that will work especially well in

upper levels of management

• Help you to confront any negative behaviors you may have developed

• Help you set high expectations for yourself

• Teach you how to succeed as an executive—by example

• Show you how to build further self-confidence in decision-making and problem-solving

• Offer stimulating ideas to help you think outside the box and look at company issues

from a fresh perspective

• Listen to workplace issues you’re dealing with and suggest options

• Offer wise advice on succeeding in a high-level executive position

• Share executive growth experiences—to help guide your own development

• Support and guide you in critical situations and decisions

• Define and encourage professional behavior appropriate for a high- level executive

• Help you gain further access to higher-ups for continued growth and networking

• Give you in-depth performance reviews

Define the Agreement

Once you've met with the potential mentor and shared what you're looking for, it's important to develop a working agreement with the mentor. Some issues to get agreement on:

• What's in it for the mentor? Can you provide extra help? Expertise in your field?

• How long do you want the relationship to last? How often will you meet?

• How will you measure the success of the relationship?

• What are the two or three things you want to focus on for a specific time span?

• How will you review progress? Checkpoints in 30-60-90 days seem about right; then it may be time to redefine the objectives.

• At what point will you both know that it's time to end the arrangement?

There are several good books published on the mentoring process. Study them and develop further action plans for your executive growth. Check mentoring and executive

resources on the Internet as well.