There is no success without proper mentorship.
We say so because only good mentors are responsible for enabling people the tricks of the trade in any business or industry, and as such, they are considered as estimable foundations of society for their offerings to nurturing human advancement.
Numerous wealthy people from different areas lighted out as students who often summon their instructors as the key figures that formed their work values and the superintendence of their careers.
And there are times when you have to enter the shoes of a mentor and beckon the light of your profound experiences further.
But there are several other factors in the action that you need to consider before taking up this earnest responsibility.
Check out these effective pieces of advice to help you become a great and productive mentor:
Recognize your forces and deficiencies
Nobody is perfect, and as such, you must dare yourself first by arranging your gist assets and natural deficiencies as an individual. Your students will respect you more if you’re able to show that you have flaws just as much as everyone else in life. It’s important for you to be candid about this subject since it eliminates the preconceived notions that an apprentice might have of you as a professional.
Set sensible expectations
It’s a smart strategy to have an in-depth conversation with your protégée at the onset of his or her mentorship to determine the expectations that both of you have with regards to the arrangement. Think of this as an opportunity to establish a steady working relationship since you’re going to be taking someone below your wing. Drive the discussion by allowing your student to express his or her thoughts about what they hope to learn from you and what they are able to bring to the table.
Always be equipped
Assistants always ask questions and you need to be sufficiently prepared to answer their queries at all times, particularly if they approach you with a problem wherein you know the solution. The mentor-student relationship is always an ongoing process once it starts, so you have countless opportunities to impart valuable lessons whenever your trainee looks to you for advice or other crucial matters pertaining to the work they are doing.
Communicate suitably
The best way to avoid confusions between you and your student is to make sure that you are able to relay the information in a clear and detailed manner. It’s never a good idea to be vague with your instructions since this will likely result in your apprentice making a mistake. This is a situation that will also put you in hot water since you’re directly responsible for showing your trainee the fitting standard acting fashions at the profession.
Determine to be more empathetic
A collective mistake that most mentors make is that they often forget that they also started out in the shoes of their students long ago. When trainers get frustrated with poor results from their trainees, they sometimes lash out in anger and berate their students in the process, which is considered as counterintuitive to their progress. Thus, it’s highly imperative that you must always come across as a friendly and approachable individual that people can come to with relative comfort when they need your advice or consultation.
Pass judgment equitably
As you are slowly getting to know your apprentice over time, you’ll be able to get a good grasp on how he or she is able to perform as an individual, along with his or her respective skill sets that need to be nurtured and improved. As much as possible, your criticisms must always be productive and unbiased so that you’ll be able to impart a fair evaluation towards your student.
