How do you establish credibility as a mentor?

I was recently named NACE’s Mentor of the Year and I believe this is because my mentees vouched for me. The credibility of a mentor is not based on my word but on the word of others. Do others feel as though I am helpful? Can others trust me? Can others speak to my expertise? Hopefully the answer to all these questions is “yes” thus giving me a positive reputation as a mentor.

To really help your mentees, it’s important to get to know them well. Start by asking about their goals, interests, and challenges. For example, if you’re mentoring someone new to the marketing field, find out what areas they’re excited about and what skills they want to improve. This helps you give advice that’s useful and supportive. By understanding their background and ambitions, you can offer guidance that fits their unique needs and helps them grow.

In order to help the Mentee, the first step is to know them completely. Take time to understand their interests, goals, challenges. Be an active listener. Try and ask as many questions as possible that allow them share exactly what help they need. Listen without any judgments. Once you have a better understanding about your Mentee, try to schedule a regular meet-ups, work on a shared goals and objectives. Share your own story that will have a powerful impact. Be authentic and show empathy towards them to gain the trust and it helps to achieve long term relationship as a mentor and Mentee.

Be authentic and transparent: It's important to be honest about your own experiences and limitations as a mentor. By sharing your own struggles and lessons learned, you can help build trust with your mentees and show that you are invested in their growth.

Understand what the mentee is expecting from the mentor along with knowing the mentee. This will ensure mentor can work towards those expectations Understand how much time is expected on a periodic basis from mentor. This will ensure the mentee is not just getting to connect one off but has fixed schedule to connect. Ensure there is no personality clash between mentor and mentee to get the most of this relationship.

I share my story of being double discriminated against my gender and national background right at the end of my career. Despite that, I transformed the obstacles into opportunities by deciding to look in the mirror and accept that’s the best time to go outside of my comfort zone. So, I decided to celebrate my two decades of an international career and kick off my entrepreneurial journey. Being vulnerable and authentic wins hearts and minds. This is what I share when mentoring organisations and individuals.

Sharing your story isn't just about enhancing your credibility; it's also about bolstering the faith of those you mentor. By witnessing what's achievable, they can grasp the realm of possibility. A significant obstacle to personal advancement often lies in one's limiting beliefs. These barriers crumble when individuals observe others in comparable circumstances overcoming challenges and thriving. Such experiences inspire action, encouraging them to move forward rather than succumb to procrastination or a sense of powerlessness.

One of the most important expectations to set is time commitment. Set a schedule in advance, like one call or coffee meetup each month, and keep to it. Without clear expectations around time and location, there’s no accountability and expectation for the mentor relationship.

I would think more than setting up a project plan to tick off milestones, the broader objective of what we want to achieve in the mentoring journey should be more clearer.. For example - I want to prioritize work and life within the next 12 months - I want to be brave at public speaking within 6 months - I want to gain role clarity within next 12-18 months Sometimes in the desire to achieve mentoring outcomes, we may end up adding another "To do" item to the already stressed schedules of the mentee.. Knowing that we care for their growth is more importantly the message we need to leave with them even when getting more clearer on the objectives and execution

I've learned over the years that trust and rapport don't just happen magically. It requires work, effort, and most importantly, clear and mutual expectations. You can't just assume that your mentee knows what you expect of them or that they know what they can expect from you. You gotta spell it out and make sure you're both on the same page. That means defining your interactions' purpose, scope, duration, and frequency. Are you meeting weekly, monthly, or just when needed? Are you focusing on a specific skill set or area of expertise? Are you mentoring for a set amount of time, or is it an ongoing relationship? By setting these parameters, you can avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about your mentoring relationship.

Define the purpose, scope, and duration of your mentoring journey. Outline the frequency and format of interactions, establishing the roles, responsibilities, and boundaries for both mentor and mentee. Align on goals, outcomes, and success indicators, determining how progress will be monitored and evaluated. Through this meticulous planning, you not only prevent misunderstandings and conflicts but also ensure a shared vision, fostering a mentorship dynamic where both parties are unequivocally on the same page. In mentorship, the strength lies in the clarity of expectations, laying the groundwork for a successful and harmonious collaboration.

Setting realistic expectations is key to success with measurable steps to evaluate your mentee progress. Dont make your expectations too high or too low. Try to make break each big goal to small goals towards the big goal that your mentee want to achieve

Radical Candor by Kim Scott is a great book on providing feedback. Make it clear, honest, actionable and empathetic. As a mentor, if you've gone through a similar situation, share it and share how you overcame (or failed!) and what you learned

I found some people avoid giving constructive feedback as they do not want to discourage their mentees/direct reports or simply want to just be nice. But feedbacks are crucial for career growth and a key to having open communication. There are plenty of techniques and art to give constructive feedback, in my own experience as both giving and receiving them, I found you can always recognize people's achievements before letting them know what areas they should spend more effort on; use objective statements and give concrete examples; make the feedback as a challenge to achieve higher goals instead of criticizing existing work.

In the realm of constructive feedback, prioritize its dual role: a catalyst for improvement and a bolster to confidence. Precision is paramount; be specific in your observations, guiding the mentee towards targeted enhancements. Maintain balance, acknowledging strengths alongside areas for development. Recognize the sensitivity of feedback, navigating potential emotional triggers with empathy. Create an open dialogue, inviting your mentee to share their thoughts on your mentoring style. Embrace their feedback with humility, demonstrating a commitment to mutual growth. By fostering a culture of reciprocal feedback, you fortify the foundation for a dynamic and evolving mentoring relationship.

Feedback is crucial for growth. It's the oxygen that fuels the fire of self-improvement. But here's the thing, providing feedback can be tough. And receiving feedback? Even tougher. As a mentor, you need to be skilled in both giving and receiving feedback to help your mentee improve. Constructive feedback is the key. It's not about tearing someone down or being overly critical. It's about providing specific and actionable advice that helps your mentee improve their performance, skills, and confidence. It's also important to be timely. Waiting too long to provide feedback can make it seem less relevant and undermine its effectiveness.

Provide constructive feedback, but also celebrate your mentee's achievements and provide encouragement throughout their journey.Make yourself readily available for meetings, questions, or guidance within reasonable boundaries.Testimonials from satisfied mentees or colleagues can strengthen your credibility as a mentor.

Show up consistently. Take notes and review them before each meeting. Share what insights you have gained during your meeting and how you might apply them. Your mentee will benefit from knowing that your time together is valuable for you, too. Find articles that inspire your mentee and challenge their thinking (and yours!). Show that you are learning too.

As a mentor, it's essential that you support your mentee with your experience and knowledge by showing your availability and through active listening. It's not simply a matter of sharing notions but rather a way to create a deep and valuable relationship for both in which everyone has the chance to improve and grow somehow.

In my experience as a mentor, using my R2 approach helps me serve those who are seeking guidance. I figure out how to relate to mentees as I engage and encourage them. Then at the appropriate time, I consider ways to help them rise - meaning overcome their obstacles, reach their next level and achieve their goals.

One of the best pieces of advice I received is that the best mentors are the ones that ask their mentees the most questions. In order to truly understand what a mentee needs, helping them think through what they are experiencing, via thoughtful questions, is extremely valuable. A few starters to consider: - What would make your work day 1% better? - What is something that is going really well right now? - What is the one area that you could use the most help in? - What do you want to be known for?

Quando estamos iniciando nossa carreira como mentor, é muito comum a ansiedade para fazer com que nosso mentorado tenha resultados rápidos. Sim, nosso programa de mentoria deve conter processos que propiciem pequenas vitórias já no início do processo. Isso eleva a autoconfian?a do mentorado. Contudo, a verdade é que independente do seu método, cada um tem seu tempo de assimila??o, seu ritmo de desenvolvimento e execu??o. Hoje, como atuo direcionando outras mentoras, procuro tranquiliza-l?s com uma frase que ouvi de uma das minhas mentoras: “Voar com os querem voar, correr com os que querem correr e caminhar com os que querem caminhar”.

As someone new to mentoring, I often fall into the trap of just trying to get my brilliant points across. I thought bombarding mentees with information and resources was the best way to help them. However, I've come to realize that to truly assist my mentees and provide tailored solutions, I need to UNDERSTAND them. And to achieve this, I need to LISTEN more. Allowing my mentees to express themselves fully with no interruptions. Because for me, building credibility as a mentor isn't about being perceived as a guru. Instead, it's about earning their trust and making them feel understood while trusting me to provide genuine help and support. Learning to LISTEN MORE is a skill I believe every mentor should develop to build credibility

After 45 years, I don't know how to fake it and don't have time for it. I'm known for making time for others and making the most of that time for them. My mentoring might just be in moments, but people know I'm sincere about helping. Mentoring is a big commitment of time and spirit, and you're either in or out. Now I am seeing those I mentored become mentors themselves, and there is little more rewarding than seeing them picking up the torch.

All these are valid points for building credibility as a mentor. However, one major factor for me is the genuineness of your intention as a mentor. It shouldn't be about the nomenclature but a deep and sincere desire to help and support others to actualize their dreams.

The most impactful is create a connection, and this is based on sharing stories and experiences - something that you can both relate to and can become almost a shared experience. By opening yourself up, you invite your mentee in and that trust becomes the foundation for the entire relationship.