Look left, then look right- you’re looking at your next mentor! Lateral mentors, people we interact with daily who aren’t our bosses, can have a huge impact on our success. While finding a mentor above us is beneficial, lateral mentors are often the best contributors to our growth, even across different departments. Lateral mentoring is valuable at work and in personal life, and they are often the easiest mentors to find.

1. Learn what mentoring IS and what mentoring ISN’T.
2. Discover how to incorporate lateral mentoring into your work and personal life.
3. Master the 4 key components to lateral mentoring.

You probably think of mentoring as someone from above helping to guide you and open doors. However, lateral mentorship connects individuals from diverse backgrounds and expands skill sets, promoting creativity and offering new perspectives. This form of mentorship breaks down organizational silos and broadens networks, providing opportunities to explore different areas of business. It’s not hierarchical like traditional mentorship, but it has resulted in some of the most impactful, world-changing innovations.

1. Methods to broaden your network and obtain new perspectives on your workplace and colleagues.
2. Strategies to seek mentorship in areas that you feel most insecure about, that you would likely not want to share with a boss (or someone in your department).
3. Ways to expand your expertise while creating meaningful connections with others.