Being an effective mentor for employees can help them hone their talents and skills, as well as make them feel more connected and involved in the organization. When employees get personalized help and attention, they work better and stay longer.

Being A Great Mentor

Build and maintain a unique connection with the employee, using your listening skills and attention to detail. Avoid the one-size-fits-all approach.

Find a unique connection

Make other people who are good at a particular task mentor the newcomers for on-boarding, reducing your load and helping the new joiners. This also builds trust among the mentors, making it a win-win situation.

Assign Peer Mentors

Offer and encourage constructive criticism and advice. Appreciate the hard work done and then discuss the area of improvement(s).Stay productive and on-topic while providing feedback, and provide clear steps for improvement.

Constructive Criticism

Being empathetic goes a long way in building relations.Remember your employees are facing complicated life problems of their own, and as their mentor and leader, you have to ensure you give them the help, time and resources to get their work done.

Empathy

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In my early days of entrepreneurship, I felt solely responsible for the success of my business. It seemed like it was all up to me to make sure things got done, goals were met and the company was moving forward.
However, as things started to take off, I quickly realized that I couldn't do it alone. I had hired my team for a reason, and it was time I let them take control of their projects and deadlines. This didn't mean I completely removed myself from the equation. Instead, I took on another <a href="http://www.inc.com/spencer-rascoff/want-to-be-a-great-mentor-encourage-women-to-lead-heres-how.html">important entrepreneurial role</a> -- mentor.
<a href="https://www.inc.com/steve-farber/are-you-cut-out-to-be-a-mentor-these-6-questions-will-help-you-find-out.html">Acting as a mentor</a> for employees can help individuals hone their talents and skills, as well as make them feel more invested in the organization. When employees feel like they're getting one-on-one help and attention, it can improve their <a href="http://www.inc.com/john-hall/how-to-break-down-employee-happiness-increase-chances-of-it-happening.html">workplace happiness</a> and encourage them to stick around longer.
Unfortunately, not all entrepreneurs understand how to be a great mentor -- and it's understandable why. Mentorships are challenging to establish, but it's still important to provide that level of support to your employees. Here are a few different ways you can become a better mentor.
1. Find a unique connection. 
If you're trying to connect with employees through a one-size-fits-all approach, you'll struggle to get to know what each individual wants or needs. To be a great mentor for your employees, you need to focus on creating authentic, unique connections with each team member -- even if it means taking a little extra time to get to know them.
Some connections will be easier to find than others. However, with strong listening skills and attention to detail, you can set the foundation for a great mentorship with any employee.
2. Assign peer mentors for onboarding. 
It isn't always possible to provide one-on-one mentorship to each of your employees -- especially in times when they might need a little more attention, such as during onboarding. In this case, connect new hires with other employees who can help them through the training and onboarding process. Quality peer mentors might include someone who was in the position previously or someone with similar past experience.
However, keep in mind that you can't force mentorships and trying to do so will just be a waste of time. If two employees don't seem to be connecting, suggest another mentor who might be a better fit.
3. Encourage constructive criticism. 
Mentoring employees can be a great way to provide the encouragement and support they need to truly take advantage of their skills and position -- but it should do more than that. A mentor should push an employee to be better, giving them the drive to go further or try harder. The best way to do this is by offering and encouraging constructive criticism and advice.
Remember to always stay productive when giving feedback. Avoid getting constructive without first appreciating the hard work and dedication your employee is giving you. Next, provide clear steps on how they can improve, as well as goals for making those improvements happen.
4. Remember empathy. 
When you're stressed, behind on deadlines and working from sunup to sundown, it's easy to develop tunnel vision. However, it's important not to let those negative emotions come out at your employees or bring down the energy of your office.
Empathy is extremely important as an entrepreneur and mentor. If you're able to understand the stresses, challenges and needs your employees are experiencing both in and out of the workplace, you can provide them with a stronger support system.
Practice your listening skills. Remember that your employees will face complications of their own, and as the leader of your organization, it is your responsibility to ensure they're given the help, resources and time they need to get their job done.
Conclusion 
As an entrepreneur, you're not solely responsible for your company's success. However, you are responsible for making sure your employees get all the help, resources and assistance they need to get their jobs done efficiently and effectively.
Approach relationships with your employees like a mentorship. By listening to their unique needs, you can encourage them to develop their skills and feel excited about the work they're doing.
Solomon Thimothy is the founder of <a href="http://www.clickx.io/">Clickx,</a> a marketing intelligence platform that helps businesses and agencies with marketing attribution. The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
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In my early days of entrepreneurship, I felt solely responsible for the success of my business. It seemed like it was all up to me to make sure things got done, goals were met and the company was moving forward. However, as things started to take off, I quickly realized that I couldn't do it alone.

4 Ways to Be a Better Mentor to Your Employees

Being A Great Mentor

Find a unique connection

Assign Peer Mentors

Constructive Criticism

Empathy

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