When you sign on to be a mentor, you probably think the scale is weighted in favour of the mentee. After all, the traditional dynamic sees you doing the bulk of giving while your mentee basks in the glow of your priceless wisdom, reaping the benefits. There are a multitude of benefits beyond being an influence behind a successful individual. You may not realise it but, mentoring can greatly enrich your career and life.
“ Mentoring creates a culture of engagement where employees feel valued and encouraged to step up to their full potential ”, says Patricia Barlow president and founding partner of Blue Mesa Group. To add to that it also invites development, creativity and inclusion.
Below are 5 other benefits of being a mentoring an individual:
Mentoring affords you different perspectives.
Insight goes both ways. As you push or your mentee to improve and follow different thought avenues in solving a problem, watch and learn how they do this. Don’t be set in your ways and accept the challenge of adapting your mindset. Your worldly experience and your mentees’ youthful idealism makes for interesting results. Seek to apply any new, inventive techniques to your own career or business.
Mentoring Improves communication and interpersonal skills.
In building a strong relationship with your mentee, you’ll first need a rapport. The best way to do this is to actively listen, understand and then provide relevant feedback. Listening is a skill often overlooked or undervalued and frequently replaced with a short attention span. Make sure not to lament these negatives in your character. Mentoring encourages you to enhance your listening skills for they are an important asset in building a connection with your mentee.
By being a better listener, you can be a better partner, improve productivity and understand more. A relationship provides the perfect opportunity to build on, practice or create these necessary skills and they will always be appreciated by the person you’re interacting with.
Advocate for others.
As a mentor you are part-cheerleader and part-lawyer for your counterpart. A big part of your job is advocating for your mentee much like a lawyer does[1]. You have to be prepared to bat for your mentee and their ideas, especially if they don’t know how to do it for themselves. Your advocacy will lead to a wider array of opportunities and improve your mentees chances of success. You would do this because as a mentor you’d get a first-hand view of the sweat and tears they put into their work.
Be sure to also teach self-advocacy, it’s important to encourage them to promote themselves. An important part of mentoring is to teach your mentee how to stand up for themselves and their product and get a better understanding of what can put them over the top.
As for your benefit, research has shown that helping others makes us happier. For instance researchers found that people who gave money to charity were happier. In fact, the correlation between giving and happiness was so strong it made about the same difference for happiness as having twice as much income[2]. Mentoring and advocating for your mentees will extend your happiness far beyond your own achievements.
Develop leadership and management qualities.
There is a distinct possibility that you have never been in charge of employees or you never wanted to be. You may have interacted with colleagues but never managed them. However, as a mentor you have to be able to manage your mentee efficiently and effectively. Your mentee will help you learn to better lead and support someone through feedback, asking questions and telling you what they need to succeed
Make use of feedback mechanisms and learn to realise when your methods are not effective and adjust accordingly.
Expand your network.
Mentoring affords you the opportunity to interact with new people and build on your network. Meeting new people especially if they are in your field is always a bonus for your career although, galvanising on the privilege to cultivate your network should not be the main reason you take on being a mentor. Good relationships are essential to have, the connections you’ve made throughout your life and career are invaluable. Be sure to treat your growing network as a source of wealth. The value of each new person that joins your network expands your future reach.
Mentoring promotes self-reflection.
In guiding your mentee you’ll share your experiences and relive what worked for you but make sure not to take any creative license. Your mentee will be absorbing everything you share and will seek to apply these attributes and strengths to succeed.
Be sure to also revisit past failures, this will help you recognise mistakes you can now correct and your mentees can avoid. Focus especially on the bigger problems you faced an example being opportunities you once had like a job somewhere else with better pay versus staying put where you could expand coverage as well your network. Being able to deal with these can make you realise a deeper view of your own path and achievements.[3]
Final thoughts
Mentoring is a win-win for both participants. The mentee gains insight and experienced from a seasoned individual wanting to help. The mentor benefits too in realising personal fulfilment. As well a myriad of hidden perks which you will find out for yourself if you ever decide to be a mentor.
Read:
5 tips to land your dream mentor
How to set up an effective mentorship program for your business
[1] https://thecentsofmoney.com/ten-steps-women-should-take-negotiating-salary-compensation/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUKhMUZnLuw&t=185s [3:15]
[3] https://thecentsofmoney.com/ten-benefits-of-being-a-mentor/
Amanda Nyabila
Good INFORMATION
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