How to best work with your mentor

In the Fortune article Your Mentor Might Actually Be Working for You David P. Nelson , president of Massachusetts College of Art and Design.outlines five ways you can best work with your mentor:

1. Be open-minded – learn to improve your listening skills
2. Be observant – watch how they work and interact with others
3. Be available – accommodate their schedule
4. Be vulnerable – be willing to receive feedback and accept criticism
5. Be curious – listen in order to understand, not to respond

This article is part of Fortune’s Leadership Insiders network – well worth tracking for founders:

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership

Read the full article for more detail on working with you mentors more effectively. While the article is based on David Nelson’s personal experience with a consultant he hired who became his mentor, the advice is applicable to anyone working with a mentor.

Author: Mentorphile

Mentor, coach, and advisor to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations. General manager with significant experience in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Focus on media and information. On founding team of four venture-backed companies. Currently Chairman of Popsleuth, Inc., maker of the Endorfyn app for keeping fans updated on new stuff from their favorite artists. View all posts by Mentorphile