Characteristics Of Mentorability

Mentoring requires having a clear idea of how the sessions themselves are to happen. 

Make sure that from the very beginning you communicate to your mentee exactly how all is going to take place: how often, where, how, etc. Get to know the other and use all the means you dispose of in order to help him or her reach the desired goal.

More than giving directions, a mentor is supposed to provide the so-called pieces of supportive advice, which will enable the mentee to make up her or his mind, based on their own beliefs.

• He's committed to expanding capabilities and focused on achieving professional results.
• Clear about their career goals, needs, and wants.
• Willing to ask for help.
• Able to seek and accept positive or negative feedback.
• Personally responsible and accountable.
• Ready, willing, and able to meet on a regular basis.

To develop a successful mentoring relationships:

• Design the Alliance. Both parties must have an agreement on the contact and response times, meetings, confidentiality, focus, feedback, and goals and accountability.
• Get to Know Each Other. It is important to have a strong relationship and trust before focusing on the problem.
• Set the Agenda. Be clear on the purpose and goals of the program.
• Reflect and Evaluate. Know if there is a progress or development gained from the mentoring every few meetings.
• Closeout. Before parting ways, have a closure with each other. Reflect and appreciate what both parties have learned and gained from the experience.

The word "mentor" was first used in Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey" when Odysseus entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor who served as a teacher and overseer to Odysseus' son.

This is where mentor was derived meaning "a trusted councelor or guide."

A mentor is not someone who gives you direct answers, but someone who challenges you to know the right answer. 

And in life, you can't be spoon-fed all the time. The role of a mentor is to guide you and give you the wisdom in knowing the answer.

They are like actual Jedi masters who possess wisdom acquired from experiences.

Turn to this person when you need advice about launching a new initiative or brainstorming where you should work next

They could not just be your personal mentor but could also be your link to other useful people in the industry.

• Identify learning goals and style and measure success for the mentoring relationship.
• Be open and seek feedback.
• Be active in learning.
• Schedule and attend mentor appointments.
• Follow through on commitments and take informed risks as they try new options and behaviors in support of career and development goals.

The mentor should..

• make sure that his mentee is being able to follow what's going on.
• understand that all mentees are not the same.
• guide the mentees to arrive at a solution.
• not discourage his mentee with frequent negative feedback.
• help with removing fear.

The mentee should..

• not expect mentors to be solution providers.
• do his best to learn and maximize his potential.
• be open to negative feedback and improve himself.

• M-anage the relationship
• E-ncourage
• N-urture
• T-each
• O-ffer mutual respect
• R-espond to the learner's needs

• Learning Consultant: The mentor must help the learner to clarify his goals and identify the learning style needed.
• Coach: The mentor should have the will to help the learner explore the problem and try new ways of working.
• Counselor: When the learner is struggling to think, the mentor could listen, reflect, and clarify to help the learner gain insight.
• Adviser or Information Resource: Share insights with the learner for faster and better understanding.
• Role Model: Sometimes, the learner does not only learn from what the mentor teaches, but from how the mentor acts.
• Critical Friend: The mentor can also simply be a friend, however, it is the most difficult because it requires the willingness to listen, encourage, draw out, reflect, challenge, and provide feedback about ideas.

• Put aside your feelings so that you can concentrate only on the other person’s perspective.
• Use open ended questions that can help you draw out the interests and motivation that the person may not be verbalizing.
• Be clear about your own position and the weaknesses it has.
• Remove any personal intentions you may have, so as not to project them on to the other person.
• Using what you know about the person, their background, their mood, their intentions and expectations,  imagine how they are seeing the current situation.
• Validate their position by paraphrasing back to them what you think their position is.

When you break it down, almost every aspect of business involves an element of negotiation. 

By honing your perspective taking skills, you are much more likely to come up with solutions that are acceptable to all parties.

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

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.