As we progress in our professions, we must continue to learn and develop our skill sets. Professional mentors, who give ongoing mentoring to a younger generation of ambitious business leaders, know this to be true.
People just getting started on building a career don't possess nearly as much knowledge or experience as someone acting as a mentor, and they certainly don't yet have the skills they'll need to become a master in their chosen field. What they do possess is a healthy understanding of what is current.
Many of them are aware of emerging technologies and the latest new gadget out on the market. They're open to change and understand that they'll have to do a lot of it to get to where they want to go in their careers. They know how to converse and collaborate with their peers, and they can relate to the demands and interests of a younger generation.
It may be suitable for students to leave college or young businessmen and women to build a career. A mentor's job is to guide these individuals along the path to success. Continuing education can only improve their instruction and knowledge of what is vital to their mentees.
There are a few things mentors can do to ensure they're able to supplement their expertise with a fresh perspective that is relatable and relevant to younger mentees:
Grow with the times
Innovate and keep up with current technology. Many things will change throughout a career, including management styles, workplace culture, and technology. It can be hard to accept these changes as necessary for growth, but mentors better understand the world their mentees live in.
Hone your communication skills
Being able to converse with mentees is paramount to a successful mentorship. It is not always an easy task since people communicate in different ways, and a younger generation may have a completely different understanding of what serves as communication.
Mentors should educate themselves on popular forms of communication, as well as other communication styles.
Be open to serendipity
It can be easy to grow comfortable and complacent in what you know and seek mentees within your organization or department. But mentors who keep themselves open to opportunities they may not otherwise have recognized will be more flexible and ultimately more rounded in their mentorships. Be available to mentees from unlikely sources that may seek you out for guidance.
Learn from young minds
Chances are, there are quite a few younger employees within your organization. Make it a point to visit with them, talk with them, and learn their interests. Find out what's going on in their world and how you can learn from it. You'll not only open yourself up to gaining knowledge valuable to future mentorships, but you'll become a trusted presence in their eyes, a senior colleague who cares what they think.
Embrace change
You have to choose to accept change if you want to be relevant to a younger generation. If you cling to old habits, methods, beliefs, and technologies, you'll only succeed in alienating yourself from the people you hope to lead.
Mentees benefit from the knowledge you gained in your world, but they'll only succeed if they can apply it to theirs. A mentor's role is two-part: to educate their charges on how to excel in their careers and reach their goals, and to educate themselves on what is essential and relevant to the individuals they seek to guide.
You'll gain the trust of mentees more quickly and demonstrate to them that you care about the concerns of the world they live in and the challenges they face in advancing in their career.
If this post resonated with you, check with your organization to see whether you are part of the MentorCloud network. If not, sign up for a demo here! Our vision is to create a mentoring planet in which true equality is achieved, and hard work is rewarded, but it's only possible with your participation.
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