I have shared countless times in blog posts, podcasts, and social media the importance of a mentor. I will probably continue to share it until my face turns blue because it’s important and still underutilized. You can learn so much from a mentor. If you don’t have at least a couple, you need to find them. However, what about those who already have been mentored or are right now? Is there anything else? Do you just keep learning and getting different perspectives and hope for the best? Or is there another option that you need to look at? I bet you’ve guessed by the title, the answer is yes, you need a champion.
First and foremost, what’s the difference?
A mentor is a little more flexible than a champion. Mentors can be anyone that is a little farther down any given path than you are that you can learn from. Want to be a better speaker? A mentor can be anyone who speaks well. Anyone from your pastor to great presenter at work to a famous keynote speaker. Looking to improve your baking skills? Your mentor could be anyone from your grandma who makes the best chocolate chip cookies to a celebrity baker that you subscribe to their YouTube channel. A mentorship works best when the relationship is reciprocal but honestly, your mentor doesn’t even have to be someone you’ve ever met.
Champions on the other hand do need to be someone you have contact with. Your champion typically evolves from some sort of mentorship or relationship. The champion recognizes your skill or ability in a specific area and can advocate for a space for you.
For example, you’ve been working on those speaking skills with your pastor for a few months and they find out about an opportunity for a youth group keynote. Because they’re aware of your abilities to engage with the younger group they recommend you for the spot. This could also be when your boss, who knows you’ve been leading small scale projects for over a year, recommends you for a large project that could set you up for a promotion. Champions not only have the ability to help develop what you’re working on, but also the connections to see it through. These are the people who will say your name in a room of opportunity as they say.
So, am I your champion or your mentor??
While I might not be able to act as your champion, I hope I’ve served you well as a mentor. I hope that reading this blog, or joining one of my programs has offered you the opportunity to build the skills you need to not only develop but also find and work with your champions. If you’re looking for me to mentor you to the next step, check out this free resource in taking the next step to learn more.
How do you know if you need a champion?
If you’re looking for any sort of new opportunity, you need a champion. I don’t just mean a new job either. Maybe you’re looking for a fresh way to hone a skill or maybe you want to be part of a new project, you need a champion. Now, I’m not trying to reduce your power in this situation. You can certainly raise your hand for the opportunities that come your way. The reason I say you need a champion for anything new is because the new opportunities are the ones that won’t just fall in your lap. The projects that are outside your team. Perhaps the work that is far outside your normal job duties. Maybe you want to use a skill set that one a few know you have. For these new opportunities you need a champion.
All that being said, there are perfectly legitimate reasons people don’t have a champion. If you are newer to your role, a mentor might be all you need. While you’re developing base skills, you’re likely not looking for new and different options. Another reason might be that you’re perfectly content with where you are in your career. Maybe you’re already in your dream job and while you’re doing great at it, you are just reveling in getting better and better at that specific niche. I applaud this. Don’t let anyone push you out of it.
How do you find a champion?
If you’re looking for a champion, start with your direct leader or up-line. We over complicate this stuff sometimes. If you have a great leader, they’ll be on the lookout for your skills. They’ll be in conversation with you about them, and they’ll be looking for ways to champion you. However, even if you have a mediocre leader, who maybe barely has you in the third rung of The Value Hierarchy (If you’re not sure what I’m referring to, learn more here.) if you ask, they will likely help. Now, you might need to get really specific. Again, don’t over complicate it. You could say something like this;
Hey Suzie, I have been developing my communication skills. I know that I don’t usually get involved in widescale emails but if you have an opportunity to ghost draft them, I’d love the chance to help out.
Odds are, even if Suzie is kind of meh as a boss, she’ll find you something to try. When you blow her out of the water with your skills, she’ll find you more.
What if your boss just isn’t the option?
Maybe your boss or up-line (meaning their boss or higher) just doesn’t work. This could be because they are even lower than a mediocre leader or because what you’re trying to find an opportunity in just doesn’t fit. The next option is to leverage those outside mentors you have. If you’re currently working with a mentor, maybe you can turn them into a champion. Ask them, very similarly to how we asked Suzie, to think of you if there are areas you can exercise your new skill in. This will work best in situations where the mentor is in your field but it doesn’t have to be. As in my public speaking with Pastor example, you could certainly mention to Pastor that you’d love the chance to get to do this in your day-to-day and ask that she keep you in mind for other connections based on people she knows.
And if you’re sure they can’t be a champion?
This actually dove tails well into the final option. What if your mentor is Grandma, or the equivalent? Meaning, what if your mentor is further ahead than you in this very specific niche area they were mentoring you in but doesn’t have the connections or maybe even the clout to become a champion? Just like we did with Pastor, tell them your goal (at least high level). Then ask them who they know and if they can connect you. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t have a magic answer off the bat. Keep talking about it and if they have some idea, maybe that person has another person in mind. It will take work, but if you have a mentor, I promise it’s possible, and worth it.
What’s next?
Maybe you don’t have an active mentor so taking it to champion level seems impossible. Maybe you’re not sure if you’ve got the champion that can take you to the next step. Perhaps you don’t even know what to be mentored in. That doesn’t mean that you’re stuck. You don’t need to stay at the same level, or in the same role you’re in because you don’t yet have the connections. Let’s take this mentorship to the next level. I can help you act as your own champion and leverage the relationships you have. Take advantage of my experiences and invest in yourself. Get your copy of The Get Hired Guide today.