Mentor
Being a successful mentor can be challenging but also highly rewarding. At its core, being a mentor is being a trusted advisor and providing support to help the mentee achieve their goals. However there are also benefits to the mentor but to achieve these the right environment needs to be created and correct actions taken.
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Here are some top tips to help you become a successful mentor:
Set mutual expectations and goals
Establish this at the start of the relationship to ensure you are both aligned. Also ensure that you are both in agreement that the content of the sessions will remain confidential
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Ask the right type of questions
Adopt the 'Socratic method'. To do this ask insightful questions that help mentees realise their own areas of improvement
Empathy
Remember that not everyone has the same level of understanding on different issues, so create an environment of acceptance
Learn about your mentee
It's very easy to fall in to the trap of purely talking about yourself. It's important to share your experiences but it's also important to gauge your mentees level of understanding so that the conversation can be steered in the right direction
Empower the mentee
Ensure that the mentee is in the driving seat and you are the instructor. Sharing your experience but also challenging them is key for growth
Power dynamics
Be clear with your boundaries but also remember that your insights as a mentor are more important to the company over this period of time