Do you want to return the Millennials and Gen Zers in your team? Then mentor them and provide professional development opportunities. Researchers found that 87% of millennials report professional development as being important to them in a job, and 76% of Gen Z see learning as key to their advancement. But they can’t be expected to make it on their own. As such, here are 8 tips for what you can do as a mentor to ensure both you and your mentee are getting the most out of the relationship:
1. Time: commit and invest.
Being offered a role as a mentor can be flattering. It can also be nerve-wracking. Sometimes, we might be too embarrassed or too pressured to refuse. But the fact of the matter is that being a mentor requires time. As such, you should only become a mentor if you have time that you can commit to your mentee. And while it is great—and even encouraged!—to be a mentor to more than one person, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make sure you are investing your time in a few or even only one mentee, that way you are allowing a stronger relationship to develop.
2. Become a trusted advisor.
To be an effective mentor, your mentee must trust you. If they don’t, they will not come to you with questions, they may be hesitant to take and implement your feedback, etc. Establish that there is confidentiality between yourself and your mentee, that you will not be recounting everything they tell you to others.* In doing so, you create an enviroment of security, where your mentee will be encouraged to communicate with you to the fullest extent.
*There are exceptions to this confidentiality. If a situation is serious, such as if you fear for your mentee’s safety, it is crucial you communicate with the appropriate people.
3. Be intentional in mentoring individuals from underrepresented groups.
Heartbreaking as it may be, there have been times when mentors turned up their noses at mentees from minority groups. This behavior cannot continue. By being intentional in fostering diversity, you not only aid in improving diversity initiatives, but also create an opportunity for growth for both yourself as a mentor and for your organization as a whole. There is always room for improvement, and intentionally mentoring individuals from underrepresented groups will aid both them and yourself. Simply put, it is a win-win!
4. Guide your mentee by asking questions.
Don’t simply tell your mentee “what to do” in any given situation. You want to coach them to reach their own conclusions, as this will make them stronger learners and better workers. An excellent resource is the GROW model, which is a straightforward method for goal setting and problem solving. To apply to a mentor-mentee relationship:
G is Goal, or what the mentee seeks to accomplish. R is Reality, where the mentee is at that point in time. O is both Obstacles, the barriers the mentee is facing, and Options, how the mentee can overcome the obstacles. Lastly, W is Way Forward, or transforming the aforementioned options into realistic, possible steps to ultimately achieve the goal.
5. Get to know your mentee.
While this tip may sound obvious, it is nonetheless crucial. Not only should you as a mentor learn your mentee’s goals and aspirations, you should also familiarize yourself with their fears and insecurities. Why? Because knowing their fears allows you to challenge them. Not callously, but in a way that will help your mentee set their goals even higher and expand their potential.
6. Hold your mentee accountable.
This tip ties back to Tip #1. Truly investing time in your mentee means ensuring they are taking productive action(s). While it may be easy to slip into a routine where your mentee attends a session and that is the end of that, it is crucial your mentee is achieving their goals. To ensure this occurs, provide them with honest, constructive feedback, that way they are aware of changes they need to make or new directions they should head in. You should also set clear expectations for them; by doing so, no one is slowed down by confusing instructions.
7. Be beyond a mentor.
Even after your mentee is no longer officially your “mentee,” there is still action you can take to help them. Namely, becoming a sponsor. If you have been an effective mentor and your mentee has demonstrated strong progress, it is only natural that you would want to open doors and make new opportunities available for them in the future. For example, recommending them for a specific position you know they would thrive in.
8. Be curious (learn from your mentee).
The relationship between mentor and mentee is a two-way street. While there is much you will teach your mentee, and there is just as much you can learn from them, too. By doing so, you not only become a better mentor, but you will likely find yourself more open to new perspectives in general.
These tips will empower you on your journey to become a super mentor and to cultivating your relationship with your mentee(s).
Happy mentoring!
Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company. Her mission is providing guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within their organization.
Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential.