How to be a good mentor

How to be a good beraterThose of us who have had the opportunity to have a good professional berater as we travel through our career paths are well aware of the value they bringthis includes everything from support, encouragement, and motivation to opening new doors to networking and job opportunities. The bottom line is that a good berater is really worth their weight in gold. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) That said, others among us have learned that some people who find themselves in a position to be mentors are really not well-suited for the role and can even do more harm than good. A bad mentor can hold you back from new opportunities and career advancement, set you off on a trajectory that isnt right for you, and even sour you on an industry entirely.Clearly, the role of a mentor isnt one to be taken lightly. Its a tremendous responsibility, and one that could potentially give you a great deal of power and influence over someone i n need of real advice, molding, and guidance. If youre making a conscious decision to become a mentor to someone junior to you in your field, make sure that you enter the role with every behuf of being a positive influence. Consider using the following strategies to get started on the right foot.3 rules to being a strong mentorDont feel threatenedHeres the raw truth when it comes to most mentor/mentee relationships youre helping to train the next generation of workers in your field, and theyre going to be just as ambitious as you likely were when you were just starting out and eager to climb to the top of your career ladder as quickly as possible. Take a moment to look back on those timesdidnt you have visions of eventually seizing the reins of power and filling your bosss shoes (hopefully as they quietly shuffle out of your way)? Chances are if youre mentoring someone theyll likely be harboring the same ambitions.Dont let this cloud your relationship with them or make you feel thre atened and verteidigungor worse, make you work against their best interests. Instead, recognize that this is a natural part of the professional cycle. As older employers mature, new employees will enter the field and hopefully gain the necessary skills and experience to one day take control. It happened for you, and one day itll happen for them after all, you wont be in the world of work forever and likely dont want to be. The best you can do as a mentor is to help ensure that youre placing the future of your company and industry in capable hands.Dont do it for personal gainIn the world of work, most of us are used to the sort of quid pro quo arrangement where both sides get something tangible when taking part in a mutually agreed upon transaction. However, the mentor/mentee relationship is a little bit different. The fact of the matter is, theres an inherent imbalance (of sorts) when it comes to who gets what here the mentor typically devotes a significant amount of time and energy to the exchange and the mentee reaps most of the benefitsthe knowledge, skills, experience, and opportunities that youre passing along to them. It is true that mentors get the satisfaction of knowing that theyre paying it forward and helping out the next generation, but make sure that thats enough of a return on your investment when deciding whether or not to be a mentor. Do it for the satisfaction of helping pave the way for someone else, and not for personal gain.Check yourselfAs we said before, becoming a mentor is a big responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. Youre going to have a real impact on the life of someone in a dependent and impressionable time in their life, so make sure you have enough time and energy to do it well. Theres nothing quite as dispiriting as having a mentor who never seems to have the time to work with you and who youre always chasing down for help and guidanceor worse, who seems annoyed or put out by your needs. Dont be that sort of mentorif you commit to doing it, make sure youre doing so with the understanding that youre going to have to carve out a significant amount of your time and resources towards being a good and reliable source of support and guidance all the way through.Being a mentor can be a challenging role, and often the rewards arent immediately tangible. However, when done properly, being a positive mentor to an eager and excited individual can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling experience. If youre going to be a mentor, then commit to being a good one, and use the strategies and advice presented here to help you along the way.