How to Be an Effective Mentor

                                      
    It’s no question, there are many benefits of being a mentor. But mentoring isn’t as easy as it may seem. So, what does it take to be effective at mentoring?
There are several tasks you should perform in order to be a successful mentor.

1. Remember, mentoring is knowledge transfer. It is an opportunity to share your experiences with your mentee and help them to not make the same mistakes that you made.
2. Listening is key. Show that you are an attentive listener by making eye contact, using body language to show you’re paying attention, providing feedback, deferring judgment, and responding appropriately.
3. If applicable, get to know your mentee on more than just a professional level. Take personal interest in your mentee’s development.
4. If you don’t have experience in dealing with a particular issue, ask someone in your network for advice or refer him or her to others who may have the experience to share regarding a particular issue.
5. Be open to learning. No matter how much experience you have, you won’t know everything. Most mentors find they benefit from the mentoring relationship as well by learning from the mentee. In addition, mentors often sharpen their communications skills, develop empathy, and become better leaders.

By following these guidelines, you will be an effective mentor.

Written by Alison Martin-Books
 Alison Martin-Books is the Managing Director of Diverse Talent Strategies, a family of brands offering turn-key solutions for mentoring, women's leadership initiatives, and recruitment. With roughly 15 years in nonprofit work, Martin-Books has a passion for doing work that makes a difference in the lives of others. After serving as Executive Director at two different national nonprofit organizations, her commitment to her passion for developing female talent led her launch Mentoring Women’s Network. In her role, Martin-Books acts as a liaison to a national committee responsible for the leadership development content for the organization and consults with corporations on the development and strategy aligned with initiatives for emerging female leaders. She is also the author of the book, “Landing on My Feet: Learning to Lead Through Mentoring” and speaks regularly on behalf of the organization