The Precise Mentor Request
“The Precise Mentor Request” is a short 10-minute practice from Zayenha Practice in the Social domain. Its goal: Raise prospective mentor acceptance from ~10% to ~70%, via a small specific ask that requires no open commitment. You can read its goal and first step for free; the full practice with every step and the interactive part comes with Plus.
Do not ask "will you be my mentor?". Ask "30 minutes on one specific question" and repeat in a month if it works.
Goal
Raise prospective mentor acceptance from ~10% to ~70%, via a small specific ask that requires no open commitment.
Steps
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1
Pick one mentor you wish to learn from. Avoid asking 3-5 simultaneously.
Expected Outcome
Evidence base
School: Networking Research / Career Development
Founders: Sheryl Sandberg · Adam Grant (2013)
Sandberg in Lean In and Grant in Give and Take recommend "small specific ask" over "commitment ask". Acceptance multiplies 6×.
Keywords
Frequently asked questions
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