Mentoring

Effective leaders work to develop skills in others, seeking out those with potential and encouraging them to build on natural strengths as well as developing new skills.

This relationship is known as mentoring.

A mentor recognizes an individual who may have less experience but lots of potential to help them cultivate their talents so that they can succeed.

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Benefits of Mentoring

It helps reduce turnover. Many people leave organizations like Toastmasters because they are not developing new skills as they had hoped. A mentor can be influential in helping such an individual build his skills, and convincing him to continue with the program. New members who have mentors are much more likely to actively participate and continue their membership in the club.

It helps develop talent. Organizations such as Toastmasters often experience a shortage of qualified members, staff, or personnel. Mentors can be helpful in identifying and training individuals to fill such voids.

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It helps develop leaders. Strong leaders see the value in grooming others to assume leadership positions. Having more leaders in a Toastmasters club means having a larger pool of qualified people available to share the responsibilities involved in running a successful club.

Characteristics of Mentors

Effective mentors possess certain distinct characteristics. A good mentor is:

AVAILABLE. A good mentor makes time to spend with their mentee, observing them, listening carefully, and offering feedback and suggestions.
PATIENT. People learn at varying speeds; some need more guidance than others. A good mentor will provide whatever help is necessary to help their mentee improve and succeed.
SENSITIVE. Tact and diplomacy are vital in a good mentor. The mentor’s role is to motivate and encourage.
RESPECTFUL. It goes without saying that we are all different. A good mentor respects the differences between themselves and their mentee.
RESPECTED. A good mentor is recognized and admire by his or her peers, by others higher in rank, and in certain situations even by people outside the organization.
FLEXIBLE. Not everything goes according to plan. A good mentor easily adapts and adjusts to various situations and accepts that their mentee may or may not accept all of their suggestions or feedback.
KNOWLEDGEABLE. A good mentor is experienced and knowledgeable about the subject in which they are coaching another.
CONFIDENT. A good mentor is self-assured and friendly, without being arrogant or overbearing.
ATTENTIVE. A good mentor listens carefully. Often, simply listening without making any judgments about the mentee’s experiences or perspectives can be of great help because it enables the mentee to articulate their problem and begin to arrive at a solution on their own.
EMPATHETIC. A good mentor truly cares about others and honestly desires to help them develop their skills.

Evaluate Your Mentoring Skills Serving as a mentor is both challenging and a rewarding opportunity for personal growth. How are your mentoring skills? Take the following quiz to see where you fall.
		ALWAYS	SOMETIMES	NEVER
I observe people to identify those with potential.		3	2	1
I am a good listener.		3	2	1
When people come to me with problems, I encourage them to think of and consider possible solutions.		3	2	1
I have the time necessary to help another person develop their skills.		3	2	1
I enjoy helping others grow and advance in their personal and professional lives.		3	2	1
I am sensitive to the needs of others and tactful when offering advice or suggestions.		3	2	1
*SCORING:*
*17-18 points*	*Congratulations! You have the skills to be an excellent mentor.*
12-16 points	You have some good skills, but they could use a bit of work before you develop into the best mentor you can be.
*11 of fewer points*	*Your interest in mentoring is admirable, but it might be a good idea for you to get some mentoring yourself before you begin to mentor others.*

How to Be a Good Mentor

A mentor provides a positive, nurturing learning environment that benefits their mentee. A good mentor creats such an environment by:

Offering opportunities for skills development. Provide special projects and assignments that will help your mentee build new skills. Also, refer your mentee to resources (books, websites, articles, etc.) that will help them build their skills.
Helping the mentee recognize areas that need work. A gap often exists between your mentee’s existing skills and the skills they wish to develop. Draw attention to that gap and help your mentee discover the best ways for him or her to close the gap and develop new skills.
Providing helpful advice. Offer ideas or information, when asked, that will enable your mentee to arrive at the best solution for their needs. Example: “It might be useful to examine the data from last year.”

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