If you are a mentor, or want to become one, you should read these seven points for your mentee to level up

If you are a mentor, or want to become one, this will help you to provide more value for the mentee and yourself. It’s based on my experiences from the last few years as a mentor for change agents and leaders.

🤔 What to reflect on in seven steps:

#1 Why you?

Answering this question will help in understanding the need and uncovering hidden expectations. It can also help you direct the mentee to a better-suited mentor if you cannot fulfil their expectations.

#2 Look for value for both

Mentorship should be exciting for the mentor and mentee. Dedicating it solely to the mentee might lead to detachment from the mentor. What’s in it for you? What will keep you engaged? Be explicit with your mentee.

#3 Don’t dictate

It might be easy to go for ready solutions from your vast experience. The real learning for both involves focusing on tailored conversations and being an enabler. The latter is about giving enough support that helps the mentee to level up by themselves.

#4 Hold uncomfortable conversations

People don’t go for mentorship looking for nice water cooler-like conversations. They use it to level up. Share the uncomfortable observations you have when working together. Provide additional perspectives that shed a different light on the subject.

#5 Learn from your mentee

My current mentorships enable me to rediscover agility anew through case studies, excellent questions that I’m asked (and challenged), experiments they conduct and approaches I haven’t thought about. I learn, unlearn and disover my blind spots.

#6 Retrospect

It’s crucial to see if things are going in the right direction for both. Mentoring relationships can last a few weeks, months or years. Creating a space for regular reflection can bring improvements, appreciation as well as the fact that it’s time to part ways.

#7 Be humble

Don’t create a guru vibe around yourself. Remain approachable. Know where your knowledge ends and be able to recommend other mentors or sources better suited for the task. There’s no shame in saying “I don’t know”. It will only build your credibility.

👉 What else would you put on the list and why?

If you are looking for a mentor, check out my article on “4 things I wished I knew 10 years ago about finding a mentor”.