Through mentoring, there is a mutual way of learning and allowing both participants to develop transferable skills to add to their respective experiences. Effective mentoring advances your mentee by spending time and know-how with an employee or a student. I wanted to be a good, if not a great mentor.
1. Improve Communication and Personal Skills
Initially, your mentoring relationship is working on
building a rapport. The best way to do that is to listen carefully and provide
relevant feedback actively. Developing your listening skills is an essential
skill to have and to hone. Yet too often, we aren’t good listeners because we
have short attention spans or conflicting demands. To be effective in our jobs,
careers, and lives, we need to listen to understand, learn, and be empathetic.
By being a better listener, you can be a better partner,
improve productivity, and understand more. A mentoring relationship provides a
chance to practice these necessary skills while transferring knowledge to the
mentee.
2. Develop Leadership And Management Skills
I wanted to be a Wall Street equity analyst in part because
I didn’t want to manage other people. As such, you are an island focused on
your industry group and individual stocks. We may have interacted with other
analysts as colleagues, but we were not managing each other. However, over
time, as I hired junior analysts who I mentored, I became their manager. Being
their boss required a very different skill set. My junior analysts helped me
learn how to lead them better to support our group through feedback, asking
questions, and telling me what they needed to succeed.
Make use of the feedback mechanisms. I realized that my
vision was not always the right answer and had to adjust to new ways.
3. Reinforce My Knowledge On Subjects And Provides A
Different Perspective
As a mentor, you are imparting knowledge and your own
experiences. Yet, mentoring is a two-way street. I have expanded my knowledge
base and gained new perspectives as well. Many of my students are immigrants
and bring their own incredible culture and educational backgrounds to the
forefront. Accounting standards and financial markets differ country by
country. Active conversations about trade talks with others from outside the US
are fascinating. I enjoy learning from their experiences.
4. Promotes Self-Reflection
By sharing your experiences, you are reliving what worked
for you. Your mentee is interested in what attributes and strengthens are
needed in the workplace. Sharing your perspective validates your strengths and
may even surprise you about how good you were at your job.
Even in revisiting some past failures, you may be
recognizing mistakes you can now correct. I relived past failures, a good
lesson to share with mentees. Letting them know how you dealt with a
problematic trade-off can be helpful. For example, when sharing some of the
opportunities I once had, I
recalled the trade-offs I had to make. I had received an offer with higher
compensation from another firm, but I wanted to stay if I could expand
coverage. It turned out I had made the better decision at the time. With
hindsight, when speaking with my mentee, I realized a more in-depth view of my
path and achievements.
5. Boost Confidence And Motivation
Teaching or advising others lifts my motivation for my field.
Making time for others who want to learn from you reinforces any doubt of your
worth. Transfering what you have learned in the past and helping others is
exhilarating. Their enthusiasm is infectious and gives me energy. Hearing my
students say that they appreciated my advice and their situation worked out
feels good.
At college, I am part of a mentoring program on campus with
several colleagues. We recently attended a conference recruiting students and
faculty to join the expanding program. We all listened to each other expound on
the various benefits we gained. There was tremendous energy as we all
recognized these good feelings.
6. Advocate For Others
Mentors are part-cheerleaders, part-champions for their
counterparts. It is sometimes easier to advocate for others. Studies
show women are better advocators than themselves. In a workplace
environment, I went to bat for my junior analysts to get them better
raises, bonuses, and opportunities to travel to conferences. As their
mentor, I knew how hard they worked at intense times.
Teaching self-advocacy is essential. I encourage my students
to promote themselves. A big part of our mentoring relationship is to guide
them toward understanding what differentiates a good student in and out of the
classroom and readying them for their careers. Teaching others to speak up is a
big part of career development.
7. Antidote To Procrastination And Anxiety
Providing coaching to others may stop you from pursuing yourprocrastination, according to a study. As a mentor, you are promoting the
best version of yourself. While tracking other employees, you are likely to be
more mindful of wasting time and avoid
costly procrastination. It may help you to prioritize your own professional
goals. Another study said that advising junior colleagues can reduce anxiety
and improve mentors’ mental health in
the Journal of Vocational Behaviour.
8. Opportunity To Volunteer
We are all looking for ways to improve our CVs and resumes.
Effectively mentoring others is a skill to learn and practice. Mentoring
programs are sprouting up in many environments and are found to be valuable
ways to build communities. If you have a set of competencies and can spend time
helping others, it is an enriching experience.
9. Expand Your Network
It is always good to meet new people, especially in your
field. Cultivating your network may not necessarily be the motivating factor to
be a mentor. However, good relationships are always good to have. I have kept
in touch with many people I knew as students or junior analysts. I enjoy
following their paths to success and many achievements. These connections are
invaluable. Every friend we have had was once a stranger.
Treat your growing network as wealth. The value of each new
person that joins your network expands your future reach.
10. Personal Growth and A Sense of Fulfillment
Employees who serve as mentors report greater job
satisfaction and commitment to their organization. There have been several
studies that link mentoring with career development and growth. In a 2013 study, Rajashi Ghosh and Thomas G. Reio found that
mentors were more satisfied with their jobs and committed to their companies
than non-mentors.
In many fields, a mentoring program shows potential
employees a good corporate culture. An employee or supervisor taking someone
under their wing promotes a different kind of bonding and global knowledge
sharing. A supportive environment is right for the organization.
Employee engagement can reduce turnover, always a critical goal. Mentoring others is an effective way of experiencing work as meaningful. A 2015 study by Pam Kennett and Tim Lomas based on in-depth interviews produced findings that experienced mentors enhanced work-related fulfillment.
Final Thoughts
Mentoring relationships are win-win for both participants. For the mentee, it means gains insights and experiences from a seasoned person wanting to help you in school, career, sports, or at your workplace. The mentor realizes personal fulfillment while supporting a mentee. There may be hidden perks like improved habits such as listening carefully to others and reduced procrastination. I have always been grateful for the honor and opportunity to mentor someone.
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