5 Simple characteristics that makes a Mentor – good mentor

What is mentoring?

Mentoring means guiding your mentee through their chosen career path. While at ‘Try A Mentor’ mentoring means so much more than just guiding, it means giving your mentees the insight and knowledge that everyone wished they had at the start of their career. It means using your past experience from being in their exact shoes and showing them the way to success. It means looking back at yourself at the start of your career and saying “What did I wish I knew then that I know now?” and sharing this knowledge with your mentees.

Can you just imagine the sense of achievement and overwhelming success you’ll feel when you’re the reason your mentee progresses and succeeds in their career path? Helping your mentee in a way only you can through a job that is tailor-made for your specific experiences and achievements in life. Then mentoring is for you.

To fully succeed as a mentor and give your mentees the best help and advice possible there are 5 to remember.

BE PATIENT WITH YOUR MENTEE 

Although it can be frustrating to sit and watch someone make the same mistakes you did when you already know the path to success, it is important to remember this is new to your mentee and they are looking for guidance, not more pressure. Always be patient with your mentee and help them as much as you can. But remember at the end of the day it is their decision what they do with your imparted knowledge and you have to respect that. Remember that they are an individual and have their own way of doing things but have come to you because they believe they need your help. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others but patience with your mentee is crucial. 

LISTEN TO YOUR MENTEE

While it might be tempting to push your mentee in the direction you wished your career had gone, it is also vital to remember that this is your mentee’s career path, not yours. Offer them support and guidance while listening carefully to what they want to achieve in their career and tailor your support to their needs as a result.

Listening is what makes an exceptional mentor and will help you succeed in this role and as a result, your mentees will excel in their careers also. Mentoring is not a ‘one size fits all so it is so important you take every concern or question your mentee has and adjust your advice accordingly.

OFFER ENCOURAGEMENT

While it may be easier to give constructive criticism when you are in a mentoring role as the correction of errors may seem the surest way to succeed. How could you go wrong if you don’t make mistakes right?

It is also important to keep in mind your mentee’s self-esteem and motivation throughout the mentoring experience. It can be demotivating and damaging to the mentees’ self-esteem to only hear negative feedback so don’t forget to offer words of encouragement too. It is all about balance.

A ‘pep talk’ before a big presentation or an interview could be the difference between your mentee having the confidence to succeed or fall at the last hurdle so don’t underestimate the power of kind and motivating words as well as constructive criticism in a learning environment.

EMPHASIZE

We all remember what it’s like to be stuck in your job and not knowing how to progress. Or starting out in a new job and having the motivation to succeed and impress but not knowing how to go about it. 

Be conscious of your mentees’ own thoughts and feelings and try to understand each situation from their perspective, this is how your mentoring skills can really develop as putting yourself in their shoes will allow you to tackle the problem head-on rather than just theoretically, giving your mentee valuable and in-depth advice.

NETWORKING

One of the most valuable things you can do for your mentee is open doors to new opportunities for them. One way to do this is to use your already established business network to point your mentee in the direction of people who can aid your mentees career growth.

As Confucius, a Chinese philosopher once said “ if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room”. Networking is one of the most valuable skills you can teach your mentee and sharing your network with them does not diminish your mentoring abilities but strengthens them. Accepting you may not be the best source of knowledge for a particular problem or question and pulling from your resourceful network not only shows your mentee you are invested in their success but also that they are not only limited to your experience when choosing you as a mentor.