The popularity of mentoring programs in companies is based on the fact that this form of employee development brings benefits not only to the mentees and their companies but also to the mentors themselves. And these programs do not even have to be formal programs. If your company does not have a formal mentoring program, find a junior worker who can be your mentee yourself. Both of you will learn something new. You will improve in communication and leadership skills, learn how to you cooperate better and be more confident. However, before strating your mentoring career, read the most common errors mentors make and avoid them.
Bad mentor...
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...focuses only on positive things. Therefore, be honest and offer constructive feedback.
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...do not listen. Do not pay all your time to interpret your experience. Listen to your mentee and find out what he really needs.
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...offers ready-made solutions. Teach your mentee how to solve problems and make decisions independently.
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...do not manage mentoring meetings. If you do not hear from your mentee for a long time, do not ignore it. You carry the responsibility for managing the mentoring relationship.
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...cannot accept criticism. Do not be afraid to ask your mentee's opinion on how you can improve as a mentor.
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...cannot clearly express his expectations. Your mentee should know the topics of your meeting to be able to prepare.
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...does not respect his mentee's workload. Give your mentee enough space for doing his work and accept that he may be sometimes forced to postpone your meeting.
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...knows all the answers. You cannot know everything, so do not be afraid to admit it and send your mentee for advice to someone else.
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...does not learn from his mentee. Pay attention to your mentee's strengths and learn from them just as he learns from you.
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...does not maintain a long term relationship with his mentee. You can stay a mentor of your original mentee even after he leaves your company - again, to the benefit of both parties.
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