Whether you're a seasoned mentor or working with a mentee for the first time, you'll benefit from learning and reinforcing certain personality traits that will dramatically improve your mentoring skills. Of course, we all have different personalities and attitudes, both of which can change over time and with experience. The following is a list of positive practices I've picked up on my journey to being a better mentor.
The ability to listen: Being a good listener is one of the essential qualities a mentor can possess. It communicates to your mentees that you care about them and value what they have to say. Second, it builds trust by allowing mentees to explain and share issues openly. If a mentee senses that you will listen to them without judgment or interruption, they'll be more likely to share thoughts and opinions they feel strongly about. Listening with patience and understanding will allow you to connect with your mentees on a deeper level.
The ability to empathize: There's a difference between being sympathetic and being empathetic. Being empathetic to your mentees' struggles is not just about compassion; instead, it is about personally identifying with the experiences your mentees are going through. Empathy demonstrates that you understand the challenges they face and that you've faced those same challenges in your career. Showing genuine compassion will assure mentees that you are concerned with their betterment and that they have your full support in the career choices they make. The connection forged by empathy can build a mentoring relationship that will sustain for years to come.
The ability to give constructive feedback: Providing constructive feedback to your mentees puts them in a space where they can acknowledge their weak areas. Acknowledgment is the first step in turning those weaknesses into strengths, and your feedback is the catalyst. By evaluating the progress of a mentoring program, you as the mentor can conclude and prepare feedback for your mentees designed to challenge them and encourage them to work harder. This trait in a mentor will add more value to mentoring sessions and will motivate mentees to put forth an effort to improve continually.
Maintaining professionalism: Professionalism is a critical factor in any mentorship program because your mentee looks up to you as an experienced individual and expert in your field. By reinforcing expectations, documenting sessions, maintaining time schedules, giving regular feedback, and holding mentees accountable, you'll maintain professionalism throughout the relationship and communicate to mentees that you take the program seriously.
Accepting innovative ideas: Your role as a mentor is to guide and trusted advisors who never impose your views or biases on your mentees. A mentor must be open to new and innovative ideas shared by their mentees, especially mentors in a startup where entrepreneurs are bubbling with ideas. If you don't understand a concept or don't believe in its feasibility, it's your job to clarify by asking questions and clearly outlining your reservations. Your goal is not to discourage ideas unfamiliar to you but to motivate mentees into explaining how they would make them work.
Sharing skills and knowledge without hesitation: An ideal mentor does not see their mentee as competitors or threats. Your job is to help your mentees grow, which means you must be willing to share essential professional and personal skills. By allowing mentees to learn from the knowledge you have gained, you give them an advantage that perhaps you never had in your career, which is extremely rewarding.
Staying positive: As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day." Likewise, mentoring cannot produce great results overnight. It takes patience, commitment, and perseverance to give mentees the time they need to grow and learn. Even though challenges may arise and frustrations may brew, it helps stay positive and maintain a cool head. Your actions and words in this regard will teach mentees the value of maintaining a positive attitude.
Mentors who possess these traits will have consistent success with their mentorships. So write them down on a piece of paper and return to it regularly to check-in and make sure you're constantly exhibiting these traits in your mentorships.
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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