Just like any other relationship, the relationship you build with your apprentice is built on trust and respect. It can take a lot of time to build a relationship like this but it will have far-reaching benefits for you and your mentee.
“Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.”
Stephen Covey, management development consultant
“Trust each other again and again. When the trust level gets high enough, people transcend apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities of which they were previously unaware.”
David Armistead, war veteran
Everyone enters mentoring relationships with different levels of trust. Some people trust others immediately and openly, some need trust to be earned and some fall in the middle of the spectrum.
When using mentoring skills it’s important that the apprentice trusts the mentor (and vice versa) in order to learn from the sharing of experience. If the apprentice does not see you as a trustworthy source of information and advice, then little progress will be made in the relationship. If the relationship is rooted in trust, however, it can be a powerful and transformational experience.
In other words, gaining the apprentice’s trust and giving them your trust in return, is a critical component of mentoring. The result is often mutual respect, admiration and appreciation, leading to swift and meaningful sharing.