The Key to Success with Your Mentor: Goals
This post is part of a series for Support Driven’s Aspire Mentorship Program.
Congratulations on being paired with a mentor! This is an exciting opportunity for growth, learning, and accelerating your career in Customer Support. Whether you're just starting out or have been in the industry for a while, having a mentor can be a powerful tool for advancing your professional journey.
One of the most crucial steps in making the most of this experience is setting clear and actionable goals. But what if you're unsure about what goals to set? Don't worry—let's dive into the art of "goal mining."
Mining for Goals: Where to Begin
Let’s try an exercise to unearth meaningful objectives that can transform your mentoring experience - one step at a time:
Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Start by examining the KPIs that your manager emphasizes. These are essential metrics that reflect both your individual performance and the success of your support team. Common customer support KPIs include resolution time, customer satisfaction scores, and ticket handling efficiency.
Review Past Performance
Take a close look at your recent performance reviews. Identify any areas where you received feedback that was less than stellar. This is a golden opportunity to turn constructive criticism into actionable goals. For instance, if your review highlighted a need to improve Zendesk skills, make that a priority with your mentor. Also - be sure to take note of areas where you are doing well - could your mentor help you lean into those skills?
Create a Skills Tracker
Does your company have a skills tracker in place? If not, consider using a personal tracker to assess your strengths and areas for improvement. Document what you believe your current skill level is then set specific targets for progress over the next few months.Your mentor could help guide you with this kind of data tracking if this resonates.
Determine Financial Aspirations
Let’s be honest—career growth is often tied to financial advancement. If your goal is to increase your earning potential, map out the logical steps required. This might involve taking on more responsibilities, gaining new skills, or even exploring different roles within the company. If you're unsure of what the next step should be, use this as your starting point with your mentor: explore career growth opportunities exist in the field and learn what the path to higher earnings looks like inside and outside your current organization.
Collaborating with Your Mentor
Once you've drafted your goals, discuss them with your mentor. Here’s how to make the most of your mentoring sessions:
Be Open and Honest
Share your goals candidly and be receptive to feedback. Your mentor is there to guide and support you, and open communication is key to a successful partnership.
Set Milestones
Break down each goal into smaller, achievable milestones. This will make big objectives feel more manageable and will help you track your progress along the way.
Seek Accountability
Ask your mentor to hold you accountable. Regular check-ins and discussions about your progress will keep you motivated and on track - and ensure your personal growth doesn’t get left behind in your busy day to day work.
Leverage Their Experience
Tap into your mentor’s wealth of knowledge and experience. They can provide insights, resources, and practical strategies that you might not have considered - be a sponge and remember to open your ears to listen.
Your Next Action
Did you discover some ideas while reading this post? Go ahead and jot them down somewhere and save them - even if you do nothing else - that will prepare you to feel more confident going into your first meeting with your new mentor.
Take this opportunity to be specific about what you want - your mentor will be delighted by your thoughtfulness - and remember to stay open to the unexpected. You’ve got this!
