After years working in the private sector, I landed a great position at an association. While I remained in a similar job function to previous roles, I soon found my hard sales mindset required a shift.
No longer was my focus directly on supporting a sales unit to convert leads to customers. Instead, my new team’s responsibility spanned communicating to and on behalf of diverse stakeholders about a variety of issues. There were discussions of corporate governance, policy, committees, and grassroots campaigns. With this learning curve to tackle, I was encouraged by friends and colleagues to find a mentor.
While it can be hard to admit when we don't know something, I had previously pursued mentorship in an array of forms throughout my formative years. In college, I joined organizations such as a business fraternity for support toward professional pursuits and gained excellent advice from my older peers. When first starting my career, I leaned into relationships with friends and supervisors who offered valuable guidance.
Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE’s Center for Association Leadership.