Mentors-Mentorship building effective relationships

Carolyn Coleman-Grady
Better Web Builder
03-18-2014

Mentors: Who's effective are you? relationships

“A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” – Unknown

Are you the best at what you do?  Try reaching out to a mentor.  Today I wanted to speak to mentoring.     I found it beneficial to identify important qualities in one who professes to be a mentor.   Seek mentors who have a listening ear, and are willing to guide you in your learning process.  Whether it is business or training for an event. One of the key characteristic of a mentor, is listening, and effective communication. According to Entwistle (2000), “There are three main approaches to learning: deep, surface or strategic learning. 

Entwistle, describes deep learners as intrinsically motivated students, striving to understand and seek meaning from their work and studies.  Surface learners are described as being motivated by a fear of failure and a desire to simply satisfy the demands of the curriculum.  Such an approach usually results in poor understanding with minimal sense of lasting achievement or satisfaction (Kell and Owen 2009). We want to have lasting learning and understanding to perfect the challenges in building our business. Success in learning anything, comes from an effective mentor.

An effective mentor assesses the needs, builds a relationship of trust, and guides the mentee toward goals.  A mentor will assist in developing a plan of action that will move the mentee toward success.  It is important that the mentor be aware of jargon language and judgments.  Mentors answer questions, provide guidance and encouragement.  Mentors are available and willing to assist in the growth of the mentee. Patience is what builds strong relationships.

Mentors must have patience, when mentee’s become anxious and project self-criticisms, mentors should inject words that will reduce the mentee’s fears, and anxiety. This helps reduce anxiety and redirects the mentee's focus. There are lots of mentors who claim to be supportive, active and participatory in the success of the mentee.  However, this is not always true.  It is important to identify your needs.  Determine how the mentor can help. Once you have decided that a mentor is needed then begin the search by asking question/.  Mentors are valid and have existed for many years.  It is up to you to seek and find the mentor that will stretch you in areas you have not exercised before namely the ‘brain.’

Additional methods of learning include reading blogs from other business leaders, gathering ideas from other business owners that interest you. It is equally important to have an open mind, and having the ability to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Growing pains come as knowledge increases, it takes understanding to success in anything. Mentoring works when the mentor is able to capture the learners attention. Guidance, listening ear and patience are key.

Entwistle N (2000) Approaches to studying and levels of understanding: the influences of teaching and assessment. In: Radford J. ed, The experience of learning. 2nd

edn. Scottish Academic Press, Edinburgh

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Carolyn Coleman-Grady-effective relationships