7 Tips On How To Be A Better Mentor

Mentoring is a "connection", and a strong relationship is built on a mutually beneficial exchange of information, dedication, and trust. A mentor must take on the role of the relationship's compass and help to determine its future course to advance from being a good mentor to a better one.

The same golden standards for mentoring success that have endured the test of time are still applicable and powerful today as they were decades ago.

Here are some of them:

Listen deeply

In addition to being a leader, an excellent listening skill is a crucial differentiator in a successful mentoring relationship. Effective, involved, attentive, and sensitive listeners make great mentors. They pay close attention. They pay attention with intent. They listen with the purpose of taking in and considering ideas. This powerful and attentive technique of hearing has an impact on all sorts of direction and instruction that are offered back.

Show commitment

Dedication is a quality that both the mentor and the mentee must equally exercise. Along with maintaining their own commitment levels, a great mentor can play a crucial role in influencing the mentee's level of dedication. If the mentor sees potential in the protégé, maintaining a level of steadfast devotion will be crucial to the success of the partnership.

Be open-minded

Just like how no two situations are the same, no two debates, requests for direction or assistance, etc., are the same or motivated by the same factors. Consequently, a successful mentor must maintain an open mind. Openness should include the ability to think creatively when necessary, customize proposals and advise, assist in planning and improvisation, witness their previous counsel and direction destroyed, or simply have the patience to observe the results of poor implementation of sound advice.

Have patience

It is impossible to overstate the value of patience as a virtue in a mentoring relationship. There will be times when you feel annoyed, frustrated, confused, and miscommunicated, just like in any other relationship. Great mentors have the patience to go through brief phases of dissatisfaction. To maintain a productive and fruitful relationship, the mentee is also required to provide the same support.

Be a complete role model

A fantastic mentor is ideal in every way. You may have attracted attention because of your professional knowledge, your professional achievement, or your great credentials, but when someone accepts the position of a mentor, they need to have an impact that goes beyond professional success.

The effectiveness of communication, empathy, sensitivity, character strength and integrity, and the capacity to inspire are all factors that contribute to a mentor's total impact in addition to the information, experience, guidance, and direction that they are expected to provide.

Learn more and pass your knowledge

It's critical to realize that mentors are not superhumans. They are not expected to have knowledge for all conceivable queries. Effective mentors do not let their students' ignorance or lack of expertise render them helpless or the mentoring relationship unproductive.

When faced with an issue they do not know the answer to, they reach out to their broader networks, educate themselves, and then impart their newfound knowledge to their mentees. In many cases, they will connect their mentees with someone they think can provide the information they need.

Be empathetic

A crucial component of the overall connection is placing oneself in the mentee's shoes. Effective mentors demonstrate empathy throughout the course of the relationship. While giving counsel, coaching, and guidance, it is crucial to continually assess the mentee's condition and feel its effects. Without this comprehension, any type of criticism or direction may come off as inconsistent, irrational, and frequently unworkable.

Final Thoughts

Developing into a wonderful mentor is undoubtedly a difficult task. But the rewards increase with further work and application. The satisfaction of seeing someone achieve and advance in life, as well as the knowledge that they have contributed in some small manner to the person's advancement along that route, is unmatched for any excellent mentor.