5 Tips on Being a Good Mentor

So, you want to take on a protégé but don’t know where to start? Here are our five tips on being a good mentor:

1. Remember that each mentorship is different

Approach each mentorship differently, take time out to assess your own style and readiness to mentor someone, and think about the kind of commitment you can make.

It’s a good idea to think of some answers to these questions before you start:

• What kind of managerial style do you naturally have/want?
• How will you know when your mentee is successful?
• How will you communicate what success looks like to him/her?
• What do you hope your mentee’s development looks like over the course of your mentorship?

2. Manage expectations with your mentee

Sit down with your new mentee and talk about what you expect from each other and what your goals are. For instance, if it’s someone wanting to get a job at your company, or someone who’s just wanting to know what the industry you work in is like. You might not be able to get them a job, but you might be able to show them around and give them a taste of your industry.

3. To be a great mentor you have to take a genuine interest in your mentee

Anyone can give generic advice to a mentee, to be a truly great mentor you have to really get to know the person you’re mentoring. Start off with some basic questions: what their dream job is, goals for their current job, what their working style is, etc. Then, try and understand what makes them tick on a deeper level, their likes and dislikes, how they interact with other people, what working and learning styles suit them, etc.

4. Know the difference between helpful and unhelpful feedback

You might feel the pressure to give your mentee as much advice as possible as soon possible. It’s important to sit back and figure out which feedback is helpful, and which isn’t. Gauge the situation case by case.

5. Be honest about your own mistakes

Don’t just share your successes, share your failures too. A mentee can learn as much (even more) from what didn’t work for you than what did. Giving examples of how you overcame a problem, failed first and then succeeded can be invaluable.