If you have already been fortunate enough to have found a mentor, then you are already on the right track. Whatever you may be undertaking, having a mentor can make the difference between success and failure.

The mentor-mentee relationship can often be quite complicated. Establishing a relationship with your mentor and getting started on the right foot will pave the road for what lies ahead. Also, how you interact with your mentor, in the beginning, will give you a good idea of how things will go in the future. Here are some tips for meeting your mentor for the first time.

Have Your Goals Set

Before you meet with your mentor, it’s essential to have your goals established. Knowing exactly where you want to go will help you get there more quickly. Your mentor will also appreciate this because it shows that you are going in a clearly defined direction.

Setting goals, in the beginning, is also crucial because it will give you a roadmap with which you and your mentor can work with.

Be Open to Constructive Criticism

When working with your mentor, especially in the early stages, it’s important to be accepting of constructive criticism. If you are too sensitive and guarded to take pointers and criticism from your mentor, then maybe you should hold off on meeting your mentor and work on yourself first.

Have faith that your mentor will guide you, and be willing to accept their appraisals. We all like to be right, but the point of crafting a relationship with a mentor is for you to be guided so that you are better equipped in the future. Be grateful for the advice of your mentor and listen to every word carefully.

Show Appreciation

Show your mentor a great deal of appreciation from the beginning. You will never want your mentor to think that you take them for granted or taking advantage of them.

Showing your mentor that you appreciate them will get you started on the right foot, and I’ll give you a much better chance of creating and sustaining a transformative relationship with your mentor. Don’t only tell your mentor that you appreciate them, also show it by dedicating yourself fully to whatever undertaking your mentor is guiding you.