Have you ever thought about the reason why you are doing what you love?
Sometimes we are passionate about certain things because a person led us to them. A person who made you realize you’re talented and that you’re good at something, a person that taught you and gave you all of their experience; this person is your mentor.
We all have this person in our lives, whether it is a teacher, a manager, or a parent.
Being an example for someone and a mentor is a great feeling and we’re here to tell you how to be a mentor for someone or your team.
1- Set a Goal, Pass on Your Experience
“Why do you want to be a mentor?” Ask yourself this question; determine your goal and purpose. Once you figure out the answer, you will begin your journey of being a mentor.
Being a mentor is not just about teaching, it’s about passing on your experience to someone who has potentials.
So, if you are a mentor for your team, you have to share your experience, tell them about your mistakes and how you could’ve avoided them, and tell them how you became passionate about your career.
All of this will help them with their passion.
2- Build a Good Relationship with Your Team
In order for you to mentor someone or a team, you have to have a good relationship with them first.
Get to know them better on both professional and personal levels, learn how to communicate with them, and make them feel that you’re trustworthy to gain their trust and loyalty.
3- Know Your Mentees’ Goals
Part of being a good mentor and having a relationship with your mentees is knowing their goals. Becoming a mentor, you have to know what your mentees are looking for, what skills they lack so you can provide them with that.
With you as a mentor, you have to guide them to how they can achieve their goals and dreams.
4- Guide, Don’t Enforce
You can’t choose a certain team and decide that you want to be their mentor, it doesn’t happen this way! Also, you can’t spoon-feed them your experience. You have to guide them to what’s right and give them advice regarding their choices.
Being a mentor is not about creating people like you or have the same passion as you; it’s about helping them to be themselves and follow their passion. If we’re to describe it in one word, then it would guidance, mentoring is all about guidance.
5- Never Judge or Criticize Your Mentees
Remember that we all make mistakes and we all fail, if your mentees shared with you how they feel about failing or making mistakes, don’t judge them, just show them support.
The last thing someone would want is having a mentor that judges them or criticizes them based on their mistakes; they want support, and encouragement. Unless you will be giving them constructive criticism. Show them what they did right and what they did wrong so they can avoid it next time.
6- Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Mistakes
There’s no shame in sharing your mistakes with your mentees, this is how they learn, and this how you can tell them that these mistakes are what helped you to become who you are now.
So, when you’re sharing your experience, and include the mistakes and the moments you failed because they have to accept the fact that there will come a moment when face failure.
7- Celebrate their success
Whenever they succeed, celebrate with them, make them notice their progress, and tell them how they changed and what they did right. All of this will encourage them and will put them on the right track.
8- Give More than You’re Asked for
Don’t stick to what they ask for, always give more, open their eyes and mind to all possibilities, and all that they can dream of. Personally, I had a teacher that always taught me more than what students my age learned. I never fully understood the reason until I grew up and realized that everything he had taught me, benefited me later on and helped me become who I am today.
So, always give, if you have something that could be helpful later on, tell them about it because it will be appreciated in the future.
Again, it’s all about guidance, guide them so whenever they feel lost, they will remember your words that will guide them towards the right things.
