7 Characteristics of a Good Mentor

1.      A desire to help.

A good mentor is most likely to be one, who is interested in and willing to help others. Mentoring is essentially helping other people to accomplish.

2.      Have had positive experiences.

Mentoring must be from acquired resources (experience). Those who have had positive formal or informal experiences with a mentor tend to be good mentors themselves.

3.      Good reputation for developing others.

A mentor should support someone grow more rapidly than without mentoring. With experience one is in better stead to help others fulfil their potentials.

4.      Time and energy.

Mentoring can be tasking. Therefore mentors must be people who have the time and mental energy to devote to the relationship.

5.      Up-to-date knowledge.

Mentoring is not just about, how things would have been done. The most critical aspect is how it is best done now. So, those who have maintained current, up-to-date technological knowledge and/or skills would make good mentors.

6.      Learning attitude.

Mentoring requires updated skills. It means that individuals who are still willing and able to learn, that see the potential benefits of a mentoring relationship, would better fill the role.

7.      Demonstrated effective managerial (mentoring) skills.

Expectations from mentors go beyond what they say or teach. It implies that mentors must be people with demonstrable effective coaching, counselling, facilitating and networking skills.

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