The act of mentoring is highly important to the development of future talent.
While you can learn a lot from reading books, there is something more that can only be gained through the formation of a mentor/mentee relationship.
Whether you are thinking of becoming a mentor or you are running an institution that is seeking out mentors, there are several skills that are required that can really make all the difference in successful mentoring.
Let’s look at a few of them right here and now.
Active Listening
Mentoring is not all leading by example. Everybody is different and has their own way of learning. Therefore, the mentor needs to be comfortable in actively listening to their mentee and discovering a great deal about them in this way.
While some mentoring is done face-to-face, much is also done via an online mentorship platform. For universities or colleges looking to offer mentorship programs to help their students, an online platform is a brilliant solution for you.
Whatever the case, the main principle remains the same. Without active listening, it is going to be highly challenging to develop the kind of close relationship that is required.
Expertise
While this may seem like an obvious fact, it is still one that is worth going through anyway. Mentors need to have a level of expertise in their field that puts them head and shoulders above the average person who works there.
This does not mean that mentors should have a high level of arrogance. Instead, they need to have confidence in their experience and knowledge, as well as feeling like they can comfortably share this with their mentee.
The overall aim is that the mentee will continue to progress and eventually develop their own level of expertise in a subject. When seeking out potential mentors for your institute, consider this.
Able to Provide Feedback
We have already talked about the importance of listening in a section just above this one, but the ability to provide feedback is another central component of this mentor/mentee relationship. After all, without feedback, people are not going to be able to improve on what they are already doing.
Feedback should be delivered in a kind and constructive way, but this does not mean that it needs excessive sugar-coating. This is a balance that can be difficult to strike, but it is one that a successful mentor can manage with aplomb.
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Encouragement to Reach the Next Level
Many people are more than happy to stay within their own comfort zone. However, it is the mentor’s job to continue providing the little push that is needed for the mentee to advance to the next level.
Otherwise, it is going to be highly difficult to reach a situation in which genuine growth is achieved. The ability to give people the nudge in the right direction without pushing them so hard that they fall flat on their face is a skill that is certainly worth treasuring.
While there are many other potential qualities that can make up a great mentor, these are just a few of them that can really categorize somebody who is able to help people reach their full potential.
Image Credit: skills needed for successful mentoring by twenty20.com
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