“Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It’s the only way we grow.” – George Lucas
We benefit from a mentor by learning from their experience. However, a great mentor will go beyond that basic premise and provide specific feedback for improvement and growth.
A mentoring relationship that is well developed breaks down the barriers to open dialogue. High levels of success are achievable when you and your mentor embrace the following in your relationship.
1. Be humble. We like to impress people with our knowledge and experience. A great mentoring relationship is not based on pride, but on humility.
2. Be authentic. We tend to exaggerate important moments in our lives. We live them several times in our memories, and they tend to take on even more importance. A great mentoring relationship defines the reality of challenges and goals. It allows discussion of unaltered truth.
3. Be realistic. We desire immediate results from our efforts. A great mentoring relationship will balance short term and long term gains. When we achieve short term improvements while working on longer term benefits, we will have exceptional results that last.
Developing a relationship that is productive takes time. Time is what allows trust and respect to grow. Finding a great mentor is a challenge worth the effort.