Mentors are helpers. They encourage the growth of another person and provide insight, experiences, and ideas to move another person forward.
To facilitate this growth, there are different forms of mentoring (pdf). Most of us understand mentoring to be a significant long-term relationship, but that isn't always the case. Consider the following ideas about mentoring.
Mentoring can:
What is common in any type of mentoring relationship is that mentees open themselves up to the ideas, input and insight of their mentors and the mentors are generous in their willingness to guide the mentees.
Chances are you've had mentors in the past and possibly didn't realize it at the time. This activity invites you to look back in your life to identify past mentors. In addition, the form asks you to give thought to what characteristics each person possessed that helped establish a mentoring relationship and the behaviors exhibited that made the mentoring stick.
Download the Past Mentors Activity.
There are several ways you can assist mentees in moving forward in their careers and lives.
Download and complete the What Mentors Do Activity. This activity prompts you to think about your past experiences and identify what you might be willing to do for a mentee now.
In addition to the insight you may have received by completing the "What Mentors Do Activity," ask yourself the following questions to ensure that you are ready and willing to be a mentor:
Before you can effectively mentor, you have to be prepared to invest time and energy in another person. It's much easier to make this investment when you truly believe you have something to contribute. This is not the time to be modest; everyone has something to contribute.
Complete the Mentor Inventory (pdf) to start exploring what you have to offer to a mentee.
Next Section: Identifying a Mentee
Mentoring Topics
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