COSERE | 169 • Be Laser-Focused and Create Structure The mentee needs to approach a mentor based on a very specific skill set that they would like to acquire. For example, it is not enough to have a business mentor in general. As a mentee, you want to be laser-focused (i.e., if you want to grow your negotiation skills, approach a mentor who has strong negotiation skills within your industry). For the mentor, it is important to define the relationship. Make sure that there are actionable items that you share with the mentee based on what they need to learn. Lastly, ensure that the meetings are regular (i.e., once a month) to ensure continuity in the relationship. • Accomplish Goals When you want to become a mentor, or if you’re looking for a person to mentor you, the first thing on a mentor’s mind is to help their mentees accomplish their goals. There are several responsibilities that mentors have, but the end goal is always to help their mentee accomplish their objectives. Some of the responsibilities of mentors are to provide guidance, advice, feedback, and support to the mentee. As well as serving as their role model, teacher, counsellor, advisor, sponsor, advocate, and ally. You will provide them with all their tools to be able to become a better version of themselves. • Build Trust Through Engagement A mentor should teach by example, and a mentee should always be willing to listen. The mentor/mentee relationship is all about engagement. A mentee wants to learn not only how but why, and a mentor has the responsibility to unlock the creative instinct of their mentee. At the same time, the mentee should be open to listening to and exploring new creative ideas. This builds a level of trust between mentor and mentee, and ultimately, they can both learn something from the experience. • Challenge Each Other With Open-Ended and Curious Questions Among many things, mentors should play the role of devil’s advocate while mentees should be consistently questioning and challenging the mentor with open-ended and curious questions—all respectfully, of course. For example, when the mentee comes to the mentor with an idea or concept, mentors should do their best to present counterarguments or new approaches. This helps the mentee to grow more rapidly as they’re forced to think about not only the things that they think will work, but also what others might say to devalue their ideas. At the same time, the mentee should be trying to understand every angle of a mentor’s wisdom, no matter the subject, so that
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