How do you seek feedback and mentorship to avoid career regret and improve your performance?

Identifying what the WANT is, would be the first factor. Once one has established an understanding of what is wanted, reflecting on weaknesses and strengths would be the second step. Finally, consulting with individuals that can provide direct constructive criticism would be the final step to start improving weaknesses and even better, strengthing the strengths. Having short and long term goals is beneficial however, it is important to remember that plans may change and having an adaptable contingency approach is warranted.

I think it’s also incredibly important to work through and learn from things we regret doing or not doing. Each one of us in the course of our career, will make small decisions that we regret. If we don’t process those regrets and move on from them, it can actually impede our success, and prevent us from achieving our potential. The number one aspect of removing self regret is forgiveness. If you don’t forgive yourself, and move on, regret becomes a Rock that you drag behind you, preventing you from succeeding fully.

Although it is important to know what you want to learn, improve or achieve, to me, what is most important to have an idea of your intermediate and long-term targets professionally. You may not be the best job of what you need to learn, improve and achieve. Your mentor is there to support you with your blindspots so you can move in the direction you need to go to get to your destination. You and your mentor should be able to listen to one another. However, a mentor is your ally in the career development process and should be someone prepared to tell you what they see and what they believe you need to hear to help you move ahead.

I like to think that a mentor isn't there simply to support you with skill or knowledge gaps but to open your mind to possibilities.

Identifying your needs has to be the foundation because otherwise, how do you know what type of mentor you need (yes, there is more than just a one-on-one career mentor) and who to approach? For instance, consider these types of mentoring relationships. Career Mentors – This is someone you meet with routinely and for a specified period of time, say 6 or 9 months or more. Group Mentoring – This is when someone mentors a group of individuals. Perhaps someone in your office is willing to present their knowledge related to a certain topic to a group of people for a group mentoring experience. Mentoring Moments – This happens when you make an ask for a specific reason and at a specific time. What do you need, and who knows it?

So where do you find a mentor? They are most likely right in front of you. They can be co-workers, friends, family members, people in your network, members of associations, everywhere. Once you get clear on what you need to achieve in your career or business, pay attention to the people you work with or meet who have the skills you need to succeed. #MakeTheAsk

In my own experience of being mentored, I could have chosen someone similar to me who would have been a great choice. I, instead, chose someone very different from how I was at that time. I was urban; he wasn't. I was aggressive; he wasn't. I could go through a lengthy list of our dissimilarities but they don't matter. I trusted his advice and he learned from me, too. Don't forget to consider someone very different from you. They will see your blindspots and widen your vision as my mentor did.

If you are an entrepreneur in the USA, you can request free coaching from the Small Business Adminstration of the US government (www.sba.gov) and also from the Senior Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE.org). When making this request, be very specific about what types of help you need, such as help with accounting procedures, operations, marketing, etc. You can often choose your mentor, based on his or her background. Mentoring is available online or by phone as well as in-person. Many communities may also have other free coaching options.

Not everyone is up for mentoring others but I've found that co-coaching and mentoring between colleagues and friends can be done informally and is really powerful.

Begin with the end in mind - said the amazing Stephen R. Covey. That's true with feedback and mentorship too. Also, the diversity of your mentorship and feedback sources is important. The concept of a personal board of directors for yourself is relevant since there are various aspects of you as a contributor. Some sources may see the public-facing you for example while others may see the internal team building you. Once you know what you want (your ask) from your mentors and those providing feedback then you can weigh the information and allow it to guide you. You'll look for trends in the info that is shared. Also, when feedback is offered, be sure to 1) listen and 2) ask 'why so high'? If given a 7 out of 10 - ask 'why so high'.

Feedback is a fantastic method to understand what you're doing well and what you can improve upon. It needs to be demonstrable and focussed on outcomes & output not feelings or thinking around how well your team member did.

In my experience, if possible, always put yourself in the position of being directly observed by your mentor. After they observe you, have a quick chat and ask if you can debrief with them. Start by offering your own observation of what you did well and what you could have done differently. Then ask them, "What did I do well?" That is often the hardest question for your mentor to answer. That's because culturally we find it easier to criticize than compliment. After listening to their positive observations, ask, "What could I have done better? Ask questions to clarify, not explain why you did what you did. The fastest way to poison the well with a mentor is to argue about your intentions and not listen.

Asking for feedback is so useful for your own development. Accepting and acknowledging you’re never the finished article will lead to personal and professional improvements. Be brave. You won’t always hear what you want to hear. Be honest with yourself, accept, acknowledge, make the changes and move on. What’s done is done and cannot be undone. Ruminating on the past is destructive. Learn to reflect, build and move on.

Asking for feedback can feel uncomfortable - and yet can unlock new insights into where you are strong, what areas you need to focus on, and other possibilities where your skills can be used within the organization. And it's not something to wait on until your performance review. Be proactive and ask for feedback - even if your leader is not in the habit of delivering it. You can ask "what would you like to see more of from me?", "what would you like to see less of from me?" , and "where else in the organization do you see my skills and experience can be of value?". It will help you better understand where you need to focus your energy - and can identify some future possibilities that you can target and explore.

Feedback is key to improvement as we cannot always fully perceive our actions and impact. That said, you need to be open to what you will hear and willing to address it.

I believe the best mentor-mentee relationships come in one of two ways. Sometimes, the future mentor provides a metaphorical tap on the shoulder and says words to the effect of, "I notice something about you and want to help you bring it out because I see a future for you that I believe I can contribute to." The most common one is when the mentee asks for mentorship. I believe the way it should be done is in a direct conversation, rather than by email. Email can be used to set up a short conversation but asking via email is, IMO, poor form. The mentor has an opportunity to gage your sincerity and ask follow-up questions about what your expectations are.

Mentorship, is like looking at options for travel. Say, looking at a bus station with rows of buses - they may all look plush, comfortable, and able to take someone, somewhere. But the direction of travel and options may be wide, and divert from the original, desired, or rightful destination. 'Using' or rather engaging and heeding 'Mentors' is good, but also must be done with caution. The Mentor obviously has good intent, but also carry biases, 'wash-rinse-repeat' advice re strategies and tactics gleaned elsewhere, all of which may not be relevant or best for the Mentee's specific position, ambition, or trajectory. Its always worth checking not just eligibility of a Mentor, or fit, but whether it helps the desired journey and destination.

Handle the feedback from others and mentors as if the info is gold. Find a way to track it. Some may develop a journaling habit where they track and trend life and work experiences. I like a visual like a spreadsheet where I can note the nature/subject of the feedback, the date it was given, and the actions taken - including thanking the source of the information. If you note the next steps you can also hold yourself accountable by having a 'by when' column for learning, and behavioral adjustments plus an outcomes column to track future experiences with the subject. Always be a learner.

Agreed on sharing feedback, largely for the reason of building a connection with those you work with. I've seen too many disconnected people in the workplace, and that leads to apathy and decreased motivation. Share what you learned and connect through the sharing. It builds community and trust, which in turn makes for a better workplace.

I agree that mentorship is necessary. I am also of the opinion that career regret is not something we should ever have. Every position that we have worked in has contributed in someway to our skills and experience, and even if it was a position that we disliked, or that was challenging, there is learning to be had. That being said, if we can avoid some of the unnecessary challenges, this is where mentorship comes in. There is great value in being able to bounce ideas off someone who has traveled a similar path or seek advice when we are faced with a decision point. Mentorship does not have to be formal. It can be as simple as creating a relationship where you have the opportunity to reach out on an as needed basis. Just don’t abuse it.

Your career requires maintenance! Meeting regularly with a mentor and other parties invested in your career development is one of the best ways to maintain your career. Then, when your performance review or a promotion opportunity comes around, you can show how participating in a mentorship helped you develop new skills, expand your professional network, or work on a stretch goal.

It’s effective to choose various mentors for varied needs. Often cultivating one career advisor or mentor does not meet all of our needs. You may want one mentor whose path you identify with and want to emulate, another who is regarded as an expert in your industry, another may be a good connector for you, and yet another still might be that person who is a great listener and cheerleader - that can keep you motivated. Having the mindset that you hold career advisors and mentor relationships as important to your career success formula, it really has nothing to do with regret. It has more to do with being savvy. Simply put, our likelihood of fulfillment and success is accelerated by having a career-team in our corner.

Um ponto importante é o feedback ao seu planejamento. Cada indivíduo precisa entender onde está e onde e como quer chegar. O aconselhamento é bastante importante, principalmente de pessoas que realmente se importam com o sucesso de sua vida, sua realização pessoal.