All mentors want to be good, but few people are really great mentors. What does is take? Before you decide to be a mentor, consider if you are ready. To be an exceptional mentor you should review the following:
1. Your desire to be a mentor is truly based on wanting to help someone grow. Don’t step into a mentoring role just because you want to add it to your resume, or to your work experience, or because you think your current position requires it. If your motivation does not come from your aspiration to add value to other people, then defer your mentorship.
2. You have relevant meaningful experiences to share. One key component in mentoring is sharing your experience with your mentee. The key is your experience should be relevant, and beneficial. For example, I have no artistic talent, and no formal training in painting. If I were to attempt to mentor an oil painter, I probably would not help them expand their potential in creating art..
3. You are able to dedicate the time needed. Time is one of our most precious resources. If you make a commitment to be a mentor, you need to understand the time commitment you are making. A mentoring relationship requires that you spend time as a coach, a trainer, a listener, a friend, and a teacher. Setting aside 30 minutes a month for a mentoring discussion will not be very successful.
Being a mentor can be a very rewarding experience. A successful mentoring relationship benefits both the mentee and the mentor. If you want to be a successful mentor, plan on being prepared.