The essential qualities of great mentors!

This article explores the qualities that any GREAT Mentor must bring to the relationship. Ask yourself, ‘Do I have these qualities, and can I sustain them?

Our research, founded on mentee feedback through the delivery of 100's of mentoring interventions shows that the following 12 characteristics are essential in the eyes of mentee's as pre-requisites of a trusting and sustainable mentor / mentee relationship.

Trustworthiness

Without being trusted, the mentor will only be permitted to achieve a limited insight into the client and his / her needs. Mentoring is almost always a one on one intervention and has the capacity to drill down into the mentee's inner most concerns and anxieties. The starting point in such a relationship is that everything under discussion will always remain confidential. 

Credibility

The Mentee must consider the mentor to be credible. If they do not, no matter what other qualities they may have, the Mentee will not see any value and potentially disregard the mentors opinions or advice.

Empathy

Being able to put oneself in the Mentee’s shoes is vital. This does not, however, mean that the mentor should always agree with the Mentee or do the work for them… Disagreement may sometimes be necessary to enable the mentee to move beyond any limiting beliefs or behaviours.

Experience

First-hand and real life (lived) experience of the challenges, the pitfalls associated with success and failure, and knowing how to learn from these lessons to enable greater success are key qualities. A depth of experiences and capability spanning many industries and situations helps to build trust in the relationship.

Superior communication skills

Mentors need to be great listeners, have an ability to question, gather information, validate and process it. The mentor is a sounding board, as well as a listening post, so the ability to provide challenges to thinking and apply useful feedback is vital. Effective facilitative (questioning) techniques are essential skills required of GREAT mentors.

Practicality and pragmatism

Theories are interesting, but a good mentor offers practical advice when it is needed and can devise bespoke solutions for the Mentee even when there is no past alignment (experience) with specific issues.

Openness

If the mentor and Mentee are totally honest about their positions, beliefs and ideas, then the trust-relationship can develop quicker. This results in more satisfying, productive, and motivational encounters. The mentee must feel safe within the relationship!

Values

It is important that the Mentee and the mentor each take on board an appreciation of each other’s values, as these will influence the depth and context of the relationship.

Generosity

By offering time and knowledge and being consistent the mentor can demonstrate leadership to the Mentee and help them finish each encounter successfully. The more that is given, the better the Mentee will respond, trust and perform.

Patience

The ability to demonstrate tolerance and remaining calm in a crisis (or misunderstanding) are crucial qualities for helping the Mentee through a stressful issue. This is where pragmatic thought, disciplined enquiry, and open dialogue (working through the process) can lead to successful outcomes.

Objectivity

The need to be objective and rational is paramount, even if a considered opinion will offend the Mentee. The mentor can act as a benchmark in respect to standards against which mentee behaviours are measured and used to influence more appropriate actions and decisions.

Humility

The mentor works to assist the Mentee in being more successful, and for their teams or business to perform better. The mentor should have no bias or agenda other than displaying complete neutrality and humility. The relationship should always sustain the mentee's best interest as the key objective within the relationship!

Summary:

The above qualities are GREAT in theory, however those mentors recognised for their GREATNESS keep these attributes as the cornerstone of their toolkit and use them regularly!

As I have stated in other posts, COACHING can change what a PERSON DOES, and MENTORING can change who the PERSON IS.

If you or your workplace could benefit from a conversation around mentorship, reach out to us at Jenark We would love the opportunity to work collaboratively, authentically, and strategically with you & your team.

Wanting further information on this article or tips on how to use mentoring to improve team or business performance …

Contact me on LinkedIn or on mobile +61 (0) 428 727 076.

Mark Jones