What Are The Qualities Of A Good Mentor?
A mentor is an individual who offers the tools, support, guidance, and feedback one needs to thrive in their career. They are usually someone who went down a similar path and are in an excellent position to share their experiences and what worked best for them.
Not all mentors are the same, but most of them share some essential qualities. You want to consider these attributes when searching for a mentor. And if you want to be a better mentor, strengthening these qualities in yourself could be worthwhile. You may also want to look into the 3-A’s for mentorship for more information.
Wisdom
We can all agree that coaching is important to leadership, which is why mentors typically specialize according to their previous experience. It is best for a mentor to work professionally with someone in the same industry, position, or field because they are more likely to have overcome similar obstacles as the mentee is currently facing.
Honesty And Candor
One of the primary benefits of being mentored is the opportunity to receive critical feedback, both positive and negative. However, this cannot take place if the mentor lacks candor. Some mentees end up in the unfortunate situation of not receiving any honest feedback, especially regarding their professional career. Without such information, a mentee can experience a developmental blind spot that impedes his or her career progression. By getting opinions and suggestions from an objective source, a mentee can better understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Approachability
Another essential quality of a good mentor is approachability. It is always helpful if a mentor is friendly, warm, and gracious, but mentors also need to make themselves available regularly to the people they are mentoring. If they are too busy, the relationship with the mentee will not flourish.
Mentoring is a relationship-based interaction, and if a mentee can open up with the mentor, the better the chances are the relationship will be productive. It’s important to know the best questions to ask a mentor so that your time together can be fruitful. And it is also good to meet face-to-face whenever possible, but connect at least virtually if the situation does not allow for physical interaction.
Non-Judgmental
A mentor must have the ability to listen to their mentee and withhold judgment. In most cases, they should avoid using loaded terms like “must”, “right”, “wrong”, or even “should”. If a person ends up in a mentoring relationship with a judgmental person, it creates distance between the two of them. The mentee could become resentful and start to view their mentor as a smug and self-righteous person.
By providing a safe space to explore new things or discuss problems, a mentor can help their mentee in various ways that benefit both of them now and in the future.
Enthusiasm
A long-term relationship typically involves the mentee going through various metaphorical peaks and valleys throughout their professional journey. By keeping a positive attitude and remaining optimistic throughout, a mentor will teach their mentee to do the same. This kind of positive thinking will help mentees push through a variety of obstacles in the future.
To Conclude
Great mentoring relationships are ones where both parties realize that learning goes both ways. When searching for a professional mentor, consider the qualities mentioned above. They will help choose the right one. On the other hand, if you are already a mentor or considering taking up the role, developing these same qualities will help you improve your skills and abilities.