How to Be the Best Mentor?

“Being the best is the only market that is not crowded.”

2020 has been a dreadful year for the world. The global pandemic, loss of loved ones, continuous work from home, and the sense of isolation have caused stress and anxiety among many employees. While many took the help of exercise and meditation for physical and emotional well-being, mentoring has played a significant role in keeping remote workers motivated during this time.

Mentors can be a calming presence during difficult times. Whether it’s a pandemic, international deployment, or onboarding into a new organization, mentors can help deal with stressful situations.

But who is a mentor?

A mentor is someone who guides a less experienced person through hardship by building trust and modeling positive behavior. They are available to their mentees to provide support, answer questions and offer advice. Mentees often see their mentors as role models who inspire them. Unlike other professional relationships, like coaching, mentoring relationships are more personal and develop over an extended period of time.

What are the role and responsibilities of a mentor?

A mentor can take various roles and responsibilities during the course of a mentoring relationship. However, the basic roles and responsibilities are:

• Take the initiative to stay in touch with the menees
• Devote time to the relationship
• Provide information, guidance, and constructive feedback
• Provide career advice
• Share resources
• Have an empathetic ear
• Maintain confidentiality
• Communicate through active listening
• Work with mentees to identify their objectives and strength

What makes you the best mentor?

The best mentor is the one who knows how to listen to the mentee. They are empathetic, respectful towards mentees, have patience, and can guide them onto the right track. A good mentor knows their mentees well and is willing to help them by sharing their knowledge, experience, and leadership skills.

Here are some tips that can make a mentor best at their roles:

1. Communicate

Communication builds trust between mentoring partners and makes the relationship stronger. That’s why you, as a mentor, must know how to communicate with your mentee.

It is your responsibility to create a comfortable communication environment for your mentee. This is possible when you share personal stories, your struggle, your success, and failure. When the mentee sees you sharing your stories, they will feel comfortable sharing theirs. Another way to make a comfortable communication environment for your mentee is by making them feel that their information is safe with you.

2. Listen

Though we use four key methods (talking, listening, reading, and writing) to communicate, listening is the best approach for mentors.

Active listening is a skill, crucial for mentors, where you have your undivided attention to your mentee. You not only listen to what they are saying but also make a note of the non-verbal gestures to read between the lines.

These tips for active listening are helpful for mentors:

• Focus on what your mentee is saying. Don’t think about what to say next. Listen carefully.
• Don’t be judgemental, even if you don’t agree with what your mentee is saying.
• Establish eye contact with the mentee when they are talking. Let them know that you are listening.
• Be mindful of your voice tonality. Be polite with your mentee. Remember, your way of speaking will decide whether your mentee will feel comfortable with you or not.
• Ask open-ended questions, that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”, to make your mentee think and talk more.

3. Let Your Mentee Make Decisions

Yes, you know better than your mentee. But that doesn’t mean you have to make decisions for them.

One of the most important skills a mentee needs to develop is the ability to think in high-stake situations. That happens when you make them think of solutions rather than solving their problems.

Think of yourself as a driving instructor. When a trainee comes to you, what happens if you let them sit on the passenger seat and only watch you driving? They will never learn how to drive. Rather, you let them have a full control of the journey while you are still there to offer guidance and pull the emergency break if required.

Best mentors give their mentees some responsibilities and allow them to make their own decisions.

Also read:

Top 3 Resources for Mentoring that Your Organization Needs

Tips for Mentors and Mentees in the Post Pandemic Era

Executive Mentoring: Why Executives Need Mentors Too