"Under their wing"—what is the first thing this phrase reminds you of? "Under their wing" most often refers to a positive mentoring relationship between two people. When you imagine this relationship, do you first imagine the roles being filled by men or women? In business, imagining men as mentors and mentees may be a more realistic scenario.

Leslie Bradshaw, a contributing writer at Forbes.com, writes that businesses lack opportunities for women to receive guidance from women mentors, who can help less-experienced business women explore possibilities in the workplace.*

Another contributing writer at Forbes.com, Larissa Faw, has a different opinion. Faw describes how younger business women often get unwanted help from more experienced female coworkers, many of whom are older and offer their assistance unasked. In this case, mentors are available, but they aren’t the ones that can truly help up-and-coming women professionals.

In the end, mentors should be sought by women in business because they can offer valuable advice regarding your career path, goals, decisions, and more. Women business mentors can also offer insight into your professional outlook as a woman. Try being direct when you ask a colleague to act as your mentor, and if necessary, politely thank coworkers for unwanted help and explain why you’re choosing to do something your own way.

*According to Forbes.com