Vincent asks:

Vincent’s Question:

Recently a well established professional's organization (one that I pay yearly dues for) connected me with a mentor as part of their offering.

As it turned out, the mentor was not commited to what I consider the special relationship of mentor / mentee. After about a month of initial conversation, his interest was clearly as a payed consultant if my company would hire him!

I was dissapointed to say the least. Especially that I've grown so much in my lifetime by mentors. How do I avoid this in the future?

Thanks,

Vincent

Ann’s Answer:

Hello Vincent,

How disappointing! However, this is not the first time I've heard of this kind of situation. You can't avoid the disappointment but you can and clearly did avoid being taken advantage of. I recommend three actions. If you have not already done so, express your disappointment to your professional organisation. If they are offering mentoring, in my view, they have a responsibility for some form of quality control and will value your feedback. They probably have a code of ethics or guidelines for mentors. Likewise, provide feedback to the mentor. He may not realise the conflict of interest of seeking business from a mentoring role. Finally, remember all your positive experiences and don't let this one jade you. The vast majority of mentors are motivated primarily by a desire to give.

Regards,

Ann Rolfe

Mentoring Works

www.mentoring-works.com