Last month I wrote a post about whether or not a person needs a mentor, coach or friend. This morning I read Midori Connolly’s wonderful post about her journey seeking a mentor. Today I will share my thoughts on what I think are the qualities of a good mentor.
- Mentor someone who you like and who have chemistry with. Mentorships that are forced often fail because of personality differences.
- Be available. Most mentors lead busy lives. In order to be a good mentor, you need to make time for your mentee. Scheduling time to talk is always helpful, but there will always be times when they need an unplanned talk.
- Br proactive. Don’t wait for a mentee to reach out. Check-in on them from time to time.
- Share your experiences, both good and bad. Mentees look up to mentors, but need to see both success and failures.
- Learn from your mentee as much as they learn from you.
- Give advice, but help them find their own way.
- Be objective, but be a cheerleader.
- Never become jealous of your mentee or their success. Never hold them back.
- Know when it is time for them to find a new mentor. Sometimes we can only help people grow so much. It’s okay, though. You can always stay their friend.
- Make sure that you have a mentor of you own!
Are you a mentor? What do you do to help your mentee? If you have a mentor, what do you like most about the relationship?