Ready to be a Mentor?

Whether you are ready to be a mentor or not… there comes a time when you have taken that role at some point in our lives.

The mentoring relationship could be more formal… i.e., a part of a program or for a mentoring request. Alternately, an informal mentoring request… gradually develops over time. In any event… a mentor should be prepared to take on the responsibility… to properly mentor that person through their development.

Mentioned below are a few questions to ask yourself, before you take on a mentor’s role..

Allocating time to be a mentor.

Both sides must be ready to put in a fair amount of time for a mentoring program to develop. In a formal relationship, a mentor with no time makes the protégé discouraged or even disillusioned. Lack of time creates a lack of bonding. However, it is no guarantee that more time creates a strong mentoring relationship. What matters is the quality of time. A good rule of thumb is to allocate about two to three hours every month to analyze mentoring meetings.

Important to establish a rapport with people.

A key role that a counselor plays is to create a safe environment for his protege. Such an environment helps them to examine key issues and roles with more ease. A space is built on trust, which in turn, starts with a good rapport. Hence, a mentor who finds it difficult to establish a rapport with their proteges, will find it even more difficult to establish a rapport with people.

Translating abstract desires and ambitions into tangible goals.

Much time is spent guiding proteges through multiple current issues. However, there are times when counselors will also delve into areas of career ambitions and goals. A counselor usually has tremendous impact on the protégé. They are also able to translate their proteges' ambiguous notions and issues, into long-term career goals.

Helping others step back and see the bigger picture.

Mentoring in a way is directly related to the ability to help others form goals. It is the ability to make others think and act strategically. Protégés often use their mentors as a sounding board for their more important issues and ideas. If you can help proteges see the bigger picture, you can help them to think more strategically.

Helping to mentor through questioning.

Mentoring through questioning instead of answers is a powerful tool. Here, the mentor guides the protégé through a series of questions and allows proteges to come up with the answers. Not only does it build their self confidence, but it will also deliver a more sustainable benefit.

Recognizing when it is time for the mentor to move on.

A mentoring relationship needs to move to a new level when there is no more useful level of information being imparted by the mentor. Continuing with the mentoring program would only lead to resentment and frustration.