What are the best ways to establish a positive mentoring relationship with employees?

More important than knowing what you want to achieve as the mentor is having a real understanding of what the mentee wants to achieve. Mentoring should not be about performance or mastering of objectives; it must be a safe environment for the mentee to talk about areas of vulnerability and get advice from someone who has also experienced those vulnerabilities.

Understand through careful listening, open ended questions, and thorough confirmation. Mentoring is 80% listening, 10% questioning, and 10% insight/wisdom sharing.

I have found that mentoring others is most effective when they understand that you respect and appreciate who they are and what capabilities they have. When someone knows that you value them, they are more willing to be open to new techniques or skills that will help the organisation achieve common goals and objectives.

Don't call it "Mentoring" :-). The power dynamic this mentality creates from the moment the concept is introduced is a barrier to real engagement and deep learning. Mentoring tends to, perhaps not always, create a passive recipient showing up to get advice from an "expert". Define your goal as that of a coach, side by side with your employee. Don't give advice. Ask open-ended questions that empower your employee to explore their challenges and possible solutions. "Why was that hard for you?", "What do you wish you had done in that moment?", "Do you think that approach might work next time?" Be an employee's coach, not their mentor. Enable and train your best people to lead coaching programs, not mentoring programs.

Clear Vision: Start with an end in mind! Understand what you want the mentoring relationship to achieve. It's like setting the destination before you embark on a journey! ???? Open Dialogue: Discuss and set mutual goals. Two heads think better than one! ???? Quantifiable Measures: Set clear KPIs or milestones. If it can't be measured, it can't be improved! ???? Communication Cadence: It's like tuning a radio for the clearest signal! ???? Feedback Framework: Have a structure for constructive feedback. ?????? Conflict Management: Be prepared for challenges. It's not about avoiding the storm.? Evolve & Adapt: Be flexible in your approach. Sometimes, the journey takes a detour, and that's okay! ?????

Mentoring is about listening for sure. However mentoring is also about sharing relevant experiences to provide the mentee with valid references of possible behaviours and possible outcomes. The experiences shared should most definitely include success and failure with the aim to illustrate the corridor of possible behaviours and outcomes. Without sharing, if you are there just to listen and ask, the mentee is more likely to remain in the same place. Authenticity as a mentor goes a long way in establishing credibility.

Start by not creating forced mentor relationships. That's coaching or training, not mentoring. The connection, interest, value, and trust is all important, and if it's not there, the relationship won't work. Let the mentee drive the conversations. While it's great to share relevant, relatable, and personal stories and lessons, make sure you're listening and guiding rather than leading. (That's a different role.) Like any relationship, these can be meant for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Be okay with acknowledging if your needs shift. I encourage having multiple mentors throughout your career/life.

I sincerely believe that authenticity, empathy, and audacity are traits that distinguish the very best executives from everyone else. Let's talk about authenticity for a moment. Being authentic means being candid, honest, open, and collaborative with the people around you. It's about sharing your beliefs, your thought process, and even at times your concerns and worries. It can feel disarming to be so open in some environments, but the executives who do this help foster authentic relationships with their colleagues. It's equally important to invite your team to be authentic as well. Help people who don't look like you feel empowered to be who they truly are too.

Best way to build trust is to open up. Share your weaknesses and failures. Talk about your own struggles and how you try overcoming them. Brandishing yourself as a do-it-all superman only makes you loud and preachy. Also understand that not everything is black and white. Respecting dissenting opinions and perspectives goes a long way in building trust. And here’s the real deal - Acknowledge that you too have something to learn/gain from your mentee. It’s ain’t a one-way street!

Content for mentoring conversations often come from day to day business struggles. As leaders and mentors, many think you are supposed to have the right answers to the daily grind. Instead of focusing on answers, i have found my greatest relationships built on asking the right questions. Answers change based on a number of factors, but trust can be built if we find commonality around the right questions.

I like to challenge my mentees. I was yanked out of my comfort zone several times in my career and each time it helped me grow. There were times I felt like giving up, but I was lucky to have mentors who asked me to step out of my comfort zone, focus on outcomes that I could control, invest in learning and adding skills. Hence I challenge and check if the mentee is willing to put success of business and society on top of hid own personal growth. If yes, do enjoy mentoring. I have gained a lot from such mentees who have also mentored me when I was low or recharged me.

As mentors, we have to encourage mentees to take a broader view, assess the situation and potential actions so they can choose the path that is right for them at that time. Mentors should not prescribe a particular set of actions or give the full solution.

Encourage your mentee to mentor others. Instead of just focusing on your guidance, empower your mentee to share their knowledge and insights with others, especially within their peer group or community. This not only reinforces their learning but also strengthens their leadership skills. It's a collaborative approach that can create a ripple effect of mentorship and knowledge sharing, benefiting a wider circle of individuals and promoting a culture of continuous learning and development.

Actually, at the end of the day I find that it is the mentees are the ones inspiring me as much as the other way around. My role as a mentor is simple, to turn on THEIR lightbulb on the topic(s) that help them achieve success. Then once their lightbulb is on, to help them to trust their instincts and link efforts to their passions. From there, fall back and empower them to be the change they want to see.

Majority of the people are playing in the comfort zone. When faced with a challenge, they ignore, escape or surrender even when they have the potential to win over. As a Mentor, it's important to help your menteed uncover their potential.....put them in the fear zone and support them when required. Keep pushing them till they realize the Learning Zone... From Confort Zone to Fear Zone to Learning Zone to Growth Zone

Adapt & Shine: Mentoring 2.0 ???? Feedback is Gold: Regularly check in with your mentee. Understand what's working and what's not. Listening is the first step to evolving! ???? Flexibility is Key: Recognize that mentoring isn't static. ??♂??? Learning is Mutual: Remember, mentors can learn from mentees too. Embrace the exchange of ideas and perspectives! ???? Stay Updated: Dive into new mentoring methods and tools. Staying updated helps in staying relevant! ???? End Gracefully: If the mentoring relationship has run its course, it's okay to transition. Like seasons, some things are meant to change. ?????? Open-mindedness: Be receptive to feedback and change.????

There will be situations when mentees need guidance to move forward. That is when the mentor with the relevant experience and expertise becomes effective. On the other hand, leaders should also provide a safe and nurturing space for our employees to come up with their own pathways to success, enhancing accountability and better follow up .

The foundation of any mentoring relationship is trust. We must create an environment where the mentee feels safe to share openly and honestly. We must demonstrate trustworthiness by keeping discussions confidential and showing genuine care and respect. Active Listening is a crucial skill for mentors. As an attentive and empathetic listener, focusing on understanding the mentee's needs, challenges, and goals, we are able to provide the most relevant and effective guidance. As a mentor, it is imperative that we lead by example through our actions, work ethic, and professionalism. We must show the behaviors and values we expect from the mentee, serving as a role model for their personal and professional development.

Yes on evolving and learning to be a better mentor. But also understand that you shouldn't try to be everything to everyone. Gordon Ramsay shouldn't be teaching manners in the kitchen-- but it doesn't mean he should be a jerk, either. Find the right mentees that like your style, so you can focus less on adapting your style and more about helping your mentee achieve the things you've already done yourself.

To me Mentoring is a Relationship where both parties learn. Go with that mindset to be flexible in the approach. Practice silence as much! I have closed the engagements always with an offer to support if/when a need arise. This may sound risky or blanket offer, but it empowers.

Mentoring helps to build trust, show care and enable our employees to grow. We should encourage all leaders to equip themselves with good mentoring skills with coaching capabilities.

I find it valuable to ask mentees how you could best support their growth and actively seek feedback from them on how you can do better. So you are both committed to learning together and, for you both, it's a development journey

Bringing the mentoring to a conversational comfort helps the lasting relationship!! It is Ok not to know something that the mentee maybe looking up for! The awareness invites the co-creation exploration and it evolves into an area of unknown which then becomes the basis for potential outcome!

it can be very enriching for the mentor as well, if the mentor remains open to learn at the same time as the mentee. as long as it is mutually beneficial, it will remain a pleasure to do the mentoring

To me, mentoring is all about being an agent of change and actively contributing to shaping our world, one person at a time. It's about nurturing growth, providing support during challenging moments, and being a steadfast anchor for mental health and well-being.

Ultimately the mentorship program's success depends on the willingness and openness of both parties. It is super important to have a good match and chemistry between the two individuals and establish a relationship of trust.

While I have seen some employer-sanctioned mentoring programs work, many are not as effective as the organic approach. Why? Because mentoring is an inexact science. There is no playbook. So, assigning mentors and mentees can be a tricky balance. A few suggestions I have found helpful when mentoring others. 1) Keep the conversation open-ended. 2) Encourage the mentee to lead the conversation and outline their desired outcomes. 3) Push for follow ups/to dos before your next session. 4) Be brutally honest. 5) Cherish the fact that you can and will learn from your mentee(s).

In my experience, I have been a part of various corporate mentoring programs (reverse mentoring, group mentoring circles and traditional 1-on-1 mentoring). The most important thing from both parties is open communication and willingness to learn new ideas. However the continued commitment lies in the mentee to drive the topics and areas of growth.

The most important thing about mentoring someone is that you never offer unsolicited advice. You offer mentoring only when someone asks you to mentor them - because that's when they are receptive to your ideas because they have a need, and further, they are likely to listen to you because they have self-selected you, so they know your value on a particular matter. When offered unsolicited, it is mainly undervalued, and it also makes you appear rather micromanaging and could also come across as arrogant to people.

Be the person you want to mentor, and you will find yourself both attracting the kind of person that will be a fit and gaining insight into your own behavior as well. If you are someone who focuses more on managing up than on being a team player, don't be surprised if you find yourself mentoring someone who wants more of the same. Be sure to use the mentoring role as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, how you are viewed and what your own blindspots may be. If you are going to be a mentor, commit to 1x or 2x monthly sessions. However, it is ok to ask your mentee to drive the agenda and send you the issues for discussion ahead of time so that you have time to prepare your answers.