What to ask your mentor
What should you ask your mentor? They can give you advice. They can try to evoke the answers out of you, help you see the light for yourself. They can coach you to clarity. But if you want to get to what your advisor is really thinking — behind being polite, trusting, and politically correct, just ask them this, a tad emphatically:
What would you do if you were me?
Mentor dude or BFF can wax strategic for hours, but when you pull this question out, something shifts. Advice becomes more… transparent, more pointed. The “What would you do if you were me” kind of advice doesn’t make it any more wise, nor does it obligate you more to follow it (you should always, ultimately, most definitely follow your own hunch.) But this straight up subjectivity just might cut through any coddling that you’d be better off with out.
What would you do if you were me?
If you’re in a bit of a rush to get where you’re going, this might kick the conversation into high gear.
2012 Texas Conference for Women speaker Danielle LaPorte is the author of the book “The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide for Creating Success on Your Own Terms” (Random House/Crown). An inspirational speaker, former think tank executive and business strategist, she is the co-author of “Your Big Beautiful Book Plan.” Over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice on DanielleLaPorte.com, a site that has been deemed “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality.” @daniellelaporte www.DanielleLaPorte.com