5 TIPS FOR AN AMAZING MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

Michael and Goke have been in a mentoring relationship for five months with Michael being the mentor and Goke as the mentee. They started the relationship with an unmatchable zeal, hoping to achieve the goals they had in mind for the relationship. However, three months down the line, both mentor and mentee got bored and dissatisfied. They were not achieving their goals, expectations were unmet, and they were frustrated. Michael and Goke started the relationship with the mindset. The mentor was more than willing to help, and the mentee was a keen learner. Then this question comes to mind, “why is the relationship failing?” The answer is simple; both parties had what it took to start a mentoring relationship, but lacked what it takes to keep an “Amazing” mentoring relationship.

If you ask a couple of successful people to share some of their success tips with you, I believe quite a number of them would attribute their success to mentoring. And this is why many people are venturing into mentoring. But for some reason or the other, some of these relationships do not reach full potential. Now here are five tips that can help you build an amazing mentoring relationship.

Find a mentor who complements you: One of the mistakes quite several people make when seeking a mentor is looking for people who are like them. That is wrong. Remember, the point of mentorship is not to be a clone or make a clone, but to be a better version of yourself. Find a mentor whose skill set complements yours, that way you get what you lack in and can grow.

Maintain contact and keep communication open: An excellent mentoring relationship thrives on communication. If you want an amazing mentoring relationship, it is your job as the mentor to be available and accessible, reply that email, return that call. As a mentee, you should also know that your mentor has no way of discovering your needs unless you state them. Ask whatever questions you might have, your mentor would answer them. Both parties should try as much as possible to be friendly with one another and build a good rapport.

Be intentional: You get what you give. If you want to reap bountifully from your mentoring relationship, then you have to invest generously into it. You cannot reap what you have not sown. Dedicate your time and effort to the success of the relationship. Be committed to meeting your goals and expectations.

Be creative and innovative: Spice up your mentoring relationship. Having meetings and talks is great, but things tend to get boring if that is all you do. Devise means to make things a little more interesting. It could be as little as changing your meetings’ location, talking over coffee at a café, or going together for events related to the purpose of the relationship. Try to keep things fresh.

Improve your emotional intelligence: Having emotional intelligence is a useful skill, especially now. Knowing how to read the room, when and how to talk is essential for mentors and mentees. Having this skill will save you unnecessary friction and potential clashes.

Fools give vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

Proverbs 29:11 NIV

If you put your mind to it, the benefits of mentoring far outweigh the sacrifice. Having a successful relationship takes intention and dedication. Take the advice given, evaluate, and implement it if you agree it is the best for you.

Thank you for reading. Do you have any more tips you would like to share? Please do in the comment box.