Being a great mentor: 4 tips

I hope I've convinced you by now that you 1) need mentors and 2) should become one yourself.

In prior articles, I covered how to find and keep great mentors, what types of mentors you should have, questions to ask your mentors and why you should be a mentor. 

I wrap up the mentoring series with 4 tips for being or becoming a great mentor.

1. Be available

You will likely get into a monthly or quarterly cadence with your mentee. But much of the value the mentee will gain happens outside of the “normally scheduled programming.”

I’ve called mentors when a job offer came up or when a really challenging client situation arose. They answered and supported me “off-cycle,” without question. If this is something you are willing and able to do, communicate to your mentee that you can be available ad hoc. This will build trust and show that you care. 

2. Mentor the whole person

A 2019 HBR article touched on the importance of mentoring the whole person versus only their professional self. Two takeaways from the HBR article: 1) Ask great (and different!) questions and 2) Unpack your mentee’s “toolkit”.

“A valuable area to explore is your mentee’s innate gifts, aptitudes, personality characteristics, and passions. Most younger people have limited self-awareness about how they are uniquely ‘wired.’”

As you get to know how the individual is “wired” and what’s in their “toolkit”, you will be able to adjust your coaching and advice so that it’s delivered in the way that works best for them. You should also be prepared to be vulnerable, sharing personal stories and modeling a safe space where they feel comfortable opening up to you.

3. Provide a penalty-free space

Mentor-mentee relationships should be penalty-free. No topic is off limits: pay, promotions, job opportunities, work-life balance, burnout, how to get awards and recognition.

There’s a level of honesty and confidentiality that should be preserved between the two individuals. If this is something you are able and willing to provide, tell them, and watch the relationship grow deeper.

4. Lift them up

A mentor’s job is to lift others. To build their confidence.

Use words of encouragement. Tell them what positive attributes they possess. Repeat these affirmations. Amazing things happen when you tell a person that you believe in them.

Finally, have fun! It is a learning experience for you and the mentee. Take the opportunity to be vulnerable, to evolve and grow together.

Let me know your thoughts on the whole series! ??????