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Mentoring Others

By: Anna Martin - Updated: 1 Aug 2013 | comments*Discuss
 
Mentor Mentee Professional

Mentoring, and coaching, others is a beneficial experience that improves the professional performance and personal development of both the mentee and the mentor. Communicating in an open and direct way encourages the sharing of professional experience and an opportunity to build a working relationship that enhances efficiency, productivity, skills and ability.

What Is Mentoring

Mentoring is the sharing of professional experience in an informal way. Mentoring is also a form of guidance that one skilled individual gives to another person. This exchange encourages professional growth and personal development and highlights skills and abilities alongside strengths and weaknesses. By providing value to others, through the sharing of wisdom and expertise, a mentor also creates a working partnership and valued friendship.

What Makes A Good Mentor

A good mentor is someone who takes an interest in the development of other people. This includes developing a positive working relationship and exploring the skills and talents of the individual who seeks mentoring. By sharing experience, knowledge, professional insight and creative thinking a mentor develops a training process that encourages personal and professional growth in others.

The mentoring process is a valuable exchange that can be regarded as a professional investment. Mentors are usually established professionals who are top of their game, and because of this the level of communication skills, creative thinking and productivity is high. Working as a mentor enables an individual to pass on knowledge and to encourage others to push their limiting beliefs beyond personal boundaries. By helping others in this way a mentor also achieves personal growth.

What A Mentor Does

A mentor creates an informal training programme that offers an experience exchange, creative thinking opportunities and valuable feedback. The mentor will encourage a mentee to explore their professional skills and ability, develop self-awareness, adapt and grow knowledge and increase productivity in a business environment. Meetings are generally arranged to suit both parties and can be formally structured or more flexible.

A mentor provides the professional tools and experience and gives of their time to help an individual who wishes to grow their business, skills or personal awareness. The way this exchange takes place is entirely up to the mentor and his/her mentee to decide.

The Benefits Of Mentoring

By giving up personal time in order to help other people a mentor gains additional people/teaching skills, greater empathy and understanding, better listening and the ability to develop trust and compassion for others.

Within a professional environment a mentor will be seen as someone who is committed to personal growth and business expansion, is more successful and is willing to take on challenges in an influential manner.

Other Forms Of Mentoring

Mentoring does not have to be restricted to a business environment. Mentoring is a shared experience that works well within learning environments, like schools, and between family members, colleagues and other people who may require assistance with personal growth and insight issues. Teaching others, by sharing knowledge and experience, also provides further personal awareness and enhances the mentor’s own skills, efficiency and productivity, no matter their professional field or personal circumstances.

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