When you’re mentoring you need to be self-aware. You must be conscious of the ways you think and communicate. You must be able to understand yourself through self-examination, awareness and reflection. And, as a mentor and role model, you need to be very aware of your external environment.
Being self-aware is one of the main skills of effective mentoring. If you have a high level of self-awareness, you will be able to listen actively to the apprentice with a clear mind, understand the apprentice’s needs and respond confidently to each situation.
It is important that you prepare well for each session and give 100% of your focus and attention to the apprentice. This involves:
- Being open and receptive
- Being non-judgemental about the views and opinions expressed by the mentee
- Displaying a high degree of energy and interest in the mentee.
Together, these ingredients help you to be an authentic, trusted and respected role model.