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HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need
Find the right person to help supercharge your career.
Whether you’re eyeing a specific leadership role, hoping to advance your skills, or simply looking to broaden your professional network, you need to find someone who can help. Wait for a senior manager to come looking for you—and you’ll probably be waiting forever.
Instead, you need to find the mentoring that will help you achieve your goals. Managed correctly, mentoring is a powerful and efficient tool for moving up.
The HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need will help you get it right. You’ll learn how
Find new ways to stand out in your organizationSet clear and realistic development goalsIdentify and build relationships with influential sponsorsGive back and bring value to mentors and senior advisersEvaluate your progress in reaching your professional goals
Whether you’re eyeing a specific leadership role, hoping to advance your skills, or simply looking to broaden your professional network, you need to find someone who can help. Wait for a senior manager to come looking for you—and you’ll probably be waiting forever.
Instead, you need to find the mentoring that will help you achieve your goals. Managed correctly, mentoring is a powerful and efficient tool for moving up.
The HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need will help you get it right. You’ll learn how
Find new ways to stand out in your organizationSet clear and realistic development goalsIdentify and build relationships with influential sponsorsGive back and bring value to mentors and senior advisersEvaluate your progress in reaching your professional goals
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2011
68 people are currently reading
767 people want to read
About the author
Harvard Business Publishing
323 books796 followersHarvard Business Publishing (HBP) is a publisher founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, independent corporation and an affiliate of Harvard Business School (distinct from Harvard University Press), with a focus on improving business management practices. The company offers articles, books, case studies, simulations, videos, learning programs, and digital tools to organizations and subscribers.
HBP consists of three market units: Education, Corporate Learning, and Harvard Business Review Group. Their offering consists of print and digital media (Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review Press books, Harvard Business School cases), events, digital learning (Harvard ManageMentor, HMM Spark), blended learning, and campus experiences.
HBP consists of three market units: Education, Corporate Learning, and Harvard Business Review Group. Their offering consists of print and digital media (Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review Press books, Harvard Business School cases), events, digital learning (Harvard ManageMentor, HMM Spark), blended learning, and campus experiences.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 5, 2020
كتاب ممتاز اختار عدة مقالات عن التوجيه في العمل وكيف سمكنك الاستفادة بشكل كبير من التوجيه الوظيفي من الاخبر منك في العمل
January 28, 2021
Some good frameworks but bit repetitive !
February 19, 2017
Basically, the point is, to know ourselves, what we needs, and what our purpose is. After knowing it all, we must balance our network and mentors to the people that could fulfill the previous question.
In addition, mentee should ALWAYS think on how to repay their mentors through action and mentor should always learn thing they might have missed out from giving attention the question of the mentees.
In addition, mentee should ALWAYS think on how to repay their mentors through action and mentor should always learn thing they might have missed out from giving attention the question of the mentees.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2017
A good short read. 3 stars only because if you've read other HBR guides a few articles are repeated here. Instead, I would have wished to have more focus on mentoring and how to make the make the most of it for both sides.
Three main learnings that make the book worth my time:
1. Leadership cannot be taught linearly (like you could as an individual contributor). Instead, you need to cross-train it.
2. Set mentorship objectives for both sides. Set milestones and time box the mentorship.
3. Acquiring and developing talent is the executive’s imperative. Your network is a key part of your success not just for learning but also tactically, and ensuring you have sponsors is a life long project.
Three main learnings that make the book worth my time:
1. Leadership cannot be taught linearly (like you could as an individual contributor). Instead, you need to cross-train it.
2. Set mentorship objectives for both sides. Set milestones and time box the mentorship.
3. Acquiring and developing talent is the executive’s imperative. Your network is a key part of your success not just for learning but also tactically, and ensuring you have sponsors is a life long project.
January 6, 2018
This book was good because it was short, focused and easy to follow. Good choice for young professionals who are unfamiliar on what they should do to get experience and expand their skills set/capabilities.
November 3, 2018
Great reading for those who feel stuck in their career and are looking for new learning and development resources. It contains deep reflection about career development and ownership as well as practical tips to take back control and make things happen.
December 31, 2019
Honestly, one of the best "career books" I've read. Gave really concrete steps and tips to find mentors, how to have a reciprocal relationship with your mentor, and identify your strengths and how to build on those strengths.
September 9, 2021
Genuinely helpful. Loved the chapter on developing effective relationships.
December 8, 2022
Education invests over a decade into teaching youth about life and their speciality, but the need to learn does not stop with graduation. In some ways, it’s just starting. The wise learn how to learn in their organization and community. This allows them to adapt and advance over time. This collection of essays, written by business leaders and compiled by the Harvard Business Review, initiates and inspires learners in their quest to benefit from those further on in their professional paths.
The trouble with these guides is that they skim the surface on every relevant topic. Just when the reader’s palette is whet, the essay ends, and the next essay begins. Such is the case with this short guide, too. Perhaps a good goal is to identify a couple of topics to do a “deep dive” into as a follow up. Because of this book’s brevity and non-technical prose, I found it helpful to listen to it as an audiobook. It provides inspiration and motivation to make the most out of mentoring opportunities.
The most important message of this book is preparing readers to be effective mentees. Effective mentees manage their mentors so that they can get the most out of the relationship while not burdening the mentor too much. Further, effective mentees use their already existing skillsets to help the mentors achieve their goals. This “greasing of the wheel” can aid in personal advancement and gaining mentors. Little nuggets of advice like this fill this book.
Professionals in their early careers – regardless of field – will benefit most from this book. It will help them look at themselves first and then look at the opportunities around them. Also, established mentors, though presumably having a deeper mastery, can benefit from understanding the practice of mentoring, too. The art of mentoring is deceptively profound and complex, yet it maintains a prime position for professional advancement. Healthy mentoring, whether formal or informal, bequeaths practical wisdom to its adherents. With a focus on business, this short guide will orient readers in the right direction to benefit from the mentoring process.
The trouble with these guides is that they skim the surface on every relevant topic. Just when the reader’s palette is whet, the essay ends, and the next essay begins. Such is the case with this short guide, too. Perhaps a good goal is to identify a couple of topics to do a “deep dive” into as a follow up. Because of this book’s brevity and non-technical prose, I found it helpful to listen to it as an audiobook. It provides inspiration and motivation to make the most out of mentoring opportunities.
The most important message of this book is preparing readers to be effective mentees. Effective mentees manage their mentors so that they can get the most out of the relationship while not burdening the mentor too much. Further, effective mentees use their already existing skillsets to help the mentors achieve their goals. This “greasing of the wheel” can aid in personal advancement and gaining mentors. Little nuggets of advice like this fill this book.
Professionals in their early careers – regardless of field – will benefit most from this book. It will help them look at themselves first and then look at the opportunities around them. Also, established mentors, though presumably having a deeper mastery, can benefit from understanding the practice of mentoring, too. The art of mentoring is deceptively profound and complex, yet it maintains a prime position for professional advancement. Healthy mentoring, whether formal or informal, bequeaths practical wisdom to its adherents. With a focus on business, this short guide will orient readers in the right direction to benefit from the mentoring process.
November 2, 2024
Find yourself mentorS. This book provides a straightforward, actionable framework for approaching mentorship with purpose and strategy. It effectively demystifies the process, covering how to identify mentors, cultivate relationships, and leverage guidance to drive personal and career growth. Particularly valuable are the sections on managing up and building a network of mentors rather than relying on a single relationship. It resonates with a practical tone, offering readers tools to tailor mentorship to fit their needs, ultimately making the process less daunting and more results-driven. This guide delivers both insight and applicable advice for anyone looking to maximize mentorship as a resource.
September 17, 2017
Lots of repetition from other HBRs.
March 21, 2020
Not-so-great.
April 26, 2023
Practical and to the point
April 24, 2025
Biggest take away from this book was to build my own real life board of directors.
July 24, 2019
Getting a job and moving up the ranks can be challenging this day in age. It’s no longer a straight up path and company loyalty has been dwindling. To be successful in the current state of the job market and in your career Networking and finding Mentorship are absolutely necessary skills to develop your dream job. So how does this book hold up?
This book is the size and format I wish Never Eat Alone was. It’s a very quick read, small, portable, and might I say a great gift for a third or fourth year university student. I found this book incredibly helpful for breaking down the ambiguity of what ‘mentorship’ looks like (spoiler: it can look so different depending on who you are, your field, and your goals). I think a large misconception particularly on university campuses is that for mentorship you find someone you admire and ask them to be a mentor. It’s really not that simple, and that approach can be very uncomfortable for the person you’re asking. Or you sign up for a university-based mentorship program. There’s nothing wrong with university (or workplace) structured mentorship. In fact, they can be extremely useful, especially for those who are more introverted who want to put themselves out there but struggle at networking opportunities. However, once you’re out in the real world or these programs don’t exist at your school or workplace, you’re on your own. Luckily this book helps with strategies of how to find and pick your best mentors. Yes, mentors plural! My personal favourite sections were: Employ a Personal Board of Directors (benefits of multiple mentors and different ‘themes’ for choosing the right people), Finding the Right Mentors (mentoring doesn’t have to look like going out for coffee once a month; you don’t even have to meet the other person), and Why You Didn’t Get That Promotion (while this focused on those who already had a job, I think it was very valuable for self-evaluation and learning how to use your network to identify areas of improvement).
Overall, I was very impressed by this little book. There wasn’t too much jargon and all the authors used real world examples and cases to make their point.
Some of the material overlapped quite a bit, some sections were only 2 pages long and didn’t say much (I appreciate brevity, but it did a disservice in this context). I also hear that some of the article were used in another HBR series, which isn’t a huge issue, but if I’m paying $25 (CAD) for a book that’s 150 pages from Harvard I would hope for original content. But maybe it shows how valuable and relevant some sections are. Up to you to decide if that’s important, but if this is the only HBR book you’ll pick up, then this probably won’t be a big deal!
This book is the size and format I wish Never Eat Alone was. It’s a very quick read, small, portable, and might I say a great gift for a third or fourth year university student. I found this book incredibly helpful for breaking down the ambiguity of what ‘mentorship’ looks like (spoiler: it can look so different depending on who you are, your field, and your goals). I think a large misconception particularly on university campuses is that for mentorship you find someone you admire and ask them to be a mentor. It’s really not that simple, and that approach can be very uncomfortable for the person you’re asking. Or you sign up for a university-based mentorship program. There’s nothing wrong with university (or workplace) structured mentorship. In fact, they can be extremely useful, especially for those who are more introverted who want to put themselves out there but struggle at networking opportunities. However, once you’re out in the real world or these programs don’t exist at your school or workplace, you’re on your own. Luckily this book helps with strategies of how to find and pick your best mentors. Yes, mentors plural! My personal favourite sections were: Employ a Personal Board of Directors (benefits of multiple mentors and different ‘themes’ for choosing the right people), Finding the Right Mentors (mentoring doesn’t have to look like going out for coffee once a month; you don’t even have to meet the other person), and Why You Didn’t Get That Promotion (while this focused on those who already had a job, I think it was very valuable for self-evaluation and learning how to use your network to identify areas of improvement).
Overall, I was very impressed by this little book. There wasn’t too much jargon and all the authors used real world examples and cases to make their point.
Some of the material overlapped quite a bit, some sections were only 2 pages long and didn’t say much (I appreciate brevity, but it did a disservice in this context). I also hear that some of the article were used in another HBR series, which isn’t a huge issue, but if I’m paying $25 (CAD) for a book that’s 150 pages from Harvard I would hope for original content. But maybe it shows how valuable and relevant some sections are. Up to you to decide if that’s important, but if this is the only HBR book you’ll pick up, then this probably won’t be a big deal!
December 29, 2016
Nice booklet on mentoring
Key take away
-we always need some mentors and they could be physical one, virtual one or directly invisible ones, proactively came to your mentor for help- put it in a structured way
-importance of strength
-your career in your own hand
-reach your potential and make yourself indispensable to be read again
Key take away
-we always need some mentors and they could be physical one, virtual one or directly invisible ones, proactively came to your mentor for help- put it in a structured way
-importance of strength
-your career in your own hand
-reach your potential and make yourself indispensable to be read again
March 9, 2016
For anyone with no idea about mentoring, this is quite a good start. However, it read to me more like a jumbled collection of articles with a rather flimsy thread drawn through them. One article was of interest to me, and in fact of use, but the rest was a lot of common sense.
December 31, 2016
Excelente selección de artículos sobre mentoría.
Catorce artículos que proporcionan una visión de conjunto del gran valor que la mentoría puede aportar en el desarrollo de habilidades y competencias en el mundo laboral.
Catorce artículos que proporcionan una visión de conjunto del gran valor que la mentoría puede aportar en el desarrollo de habilidades y competencias en el mundo laboral.
May 27, 2016
هارفرد تعتقد ان باستطاعتها جعل حياتك اسهل ... للاسف لا يمكنها ذلك.
الكتاب يتراوح بين ممل وعادي.
الكتاب يتراوح بين ممل وعادي.
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July 23, 2018I need to read it again.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews