A mentor is a person who leaves a living legacy in the form of people who have benefited from the mentor's life experiences. You don't need all the answers, possess a PHD or be the CEO of a Fortune 100 company. You should however have a genuine interest in sharing your life experience and expertise.
A mentor’s primary role is to support and encourage the mentee to manage her own learning by sharing insights and experience so that the mentee can maximize her potential, develop skills, improve performance and become her best self.
Just as every mentoring relationship is unique, so is every mentor’s approach. And while there are no real “rules” for being a mentor, here are a few guidelines to help you be a great mentor.
Stay focused on the mentee – being a mentor has many benefits; but the primary purpose of a mentoring relationship is to help the mentee develop and achieve her goals. Steven Spielberg puts it well: "The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image; but giving them the opportunity to create themselves."
Guide the mentee to determine her right course of action; not do it for her nor preach or dictate. Serve as a role model, sounding board, trusted advisor and confidant.
Ask questions and Listen – be open and do not judge.
Maintain privacy/confidentiality of development conversations.
Be honest. It is okay for a mentor to not to know everything, but the things that you do know will add great value to the mentee. It’s ok to admit you don’t have the answer and direct the mentee to other potential sources of information.
Be Accessible, fully present and committed to the relationship – devote full attention, time, and energy to the mentee during your conversations.
Have Fun and Be Yourself - Mentoring is just about having conversations with people, sharing knowledge, experiences and stories. These powerful conversations will help you reflect on your own skills, career, and further develop your leadership and communication skills.
In a recent conversation, a couple of friends and industry colleagues asked me to consider conducting a webinar on this very topic: “How to be a great mentor.”
I’ve included a few tips here and am preparing the workshop materials. If you’re interested learning more and participating in the workshop, send me an email at info@KJCompany.net or call me at 847-833-8124.
Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash