What are the skills and attributes of a good mentor?
To be an effective mentor you need to: • be actively interested in the development of employees and the mentee and his/her development in particular; • have well developed communication skills including being a good listener and questioner; • be prepared share your skills and experiences • provide timely and constructive encouragement and feedback; • be prepared to challenge the mentee in an open and constructive way • be able to following through with commitments made and be prepared to trust the mentee will do the same; • be clear about your role and how it differs from the role of the mentee’s manager (and respect the role differences); and • be sensitive to over dependency on you by the mentee. “We have two ears and one mouth, so that we can listen twice as much as we speak” Epictetus (Philosopher ca.55-135ce) So, what does being a good mentor involve? A good mentor: • Listens to the experiences of the mentee. While sharing personal experience can help the mentee relate, it is impo
