Mentors are extremely important for professional and personal and development, as they guide people who need someone to show them the right direction. Great mentors are always enthusiastic and will enjoy helping others achieve their goals. A good mentor has many qualities. A mentor is a good fit, enthusiastic, respectful of everyone and expert in their work field. This helps achieving results, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
Mentors Are Enthusiastic
When scouting for a mentor, key in on an important aspect of the personality. They must be enthusiasts, almost even too enthusiastic, and sincere in their desire to assist you. Good mentors are passionate about helping others and are rewarded in seeing the people they helped, be successful.
A Mentor Must Fit You
With many people to choose from when selecting a mentor, select someone who fits in. Throughout your life and career, people manipulate you by influencing and developing you in their mould or what they think is best. A good mentor creates a strategy for your talents, skills, needs and desires and nudges you towards a better you, and not their clone.
Mentors Value Learning
A good mentor remains a life-long learner and pass knowledge onto those they meet. They realize that though experts, they possibly cannot know everything. A valuable trait in a mentor is the understanding that an expert need not know everything. A mentor who may not know an answer but could help you in finding answers, is worth knowing. Good mentors share knowledge willingly to explore possibilities of finding answers. A mentor able to learn from their mentee is worthy of respect.
Mentors are Experts Who Treat Others Respectfully
Respect for others is not limited to mentors. Mentors are tactful in conversations, and emotionally intelligent, and make decisions and influence others while controlling emotions and feeling empathy for others. Mentors are not judgemental about others, voicing opinions of people, or talking down to you about others. Besides being respectful, enthusiastic people, mentors must be experts in your field of expertise though not essential to provide excellent guidance; but an expert in your field, is respected by your peers. Choosing a mentor not well-known in the industry, may not achieve desired results. Many expect mentors as guides to develop themselves and associate themselves with the mentor’s image. Without expertise, guidance expected may not materialise.
Mentors Listen, Provide Feedback
Mentors listen to what you saying and prompt you for clarity or more information. They aren’t distracted or interrupted by phones, emails, or visitors, when in a session. A good mentor focuses on you and asks questions, reflect on answers and provide space when you need to think. Everyone benefits from quality feedback to continue growing new skills and is essential for improvement. A mentor creates short-term goals and long-term objectives to help you become an expert. Feedback need not be degrading, but informs you about shortcomings, with corrective actions to be taken to be more successful later
Final Perspectives
Choosing a mentor is neither stressful nor complicated. Find one to fit you to work together, making it rewarding. A good mentor identifies your comfort zone and develops steps and activities to assist you step outside your comfort zone but within your goals. In the process, you gain a life-long friend and supporter.
