The role of a mentor is to contribute towards a mentee’s career aspirations through careful guidance and support. The mentor uses their experience, expertise, guidance and wisdom to prepare their mentees for a better future.
No-one can become an inspirational mentor in just a day, it comes with experience. It is a life skill that can be learnt, developed and nurtured over a period of time. It’s a continuous learning curve where the mentor grows and learns alongside their mentee.
Here are some proven tips that can effectively enhance your mentoring skills:
- Be Yourself
- Listen
- Set Realistic Expectations
- Be Responsible, Reasonable and Respectful
- Provide Constructive Feedback
CLICK HERE to find out more about becoming a mentor and the benefits of doing so.
Natalie is one of the mentors on our mentoring platform, she is currently in a partnership and finding the process enjoyable and rewarding. CLICK HERE to view more profiles of our mentors and hear their opinions on the process.
Natalie Akroyd
Job Title: Head of Coal Authority Contract
Company: Severn Trent Services
Length of time in the water industry: 15 years
Status: In a mentoring partnership
Why did you Sign up to the Mentoring Platform and what do you hope to achieve from the experience?
I hoped I would be able to offer advice and support, as well as sharing my experiences and decisions, mistakes and successes. Throughout my career I have had several different mentors who have been invaluable to my personal and career development, and so I hoped to be able to give something similar to someone else.
How have you found the process so far?
In one word – fulfilling. What I didn’t expect was how beneficial the partnership would be for me as a mentor – it has made me stop and look at my career to date, celebrate some successes and also recognise some of my strengths and weaknesses. It has also meant I have done some valuable self-reflection. It’s been great building a relationship with my mentee and hopefully I have helped and supported her in some way!
Feeling inspired? CLICK HERE to find out more about becoming a mentor or a mentee and sign up to our online mentoring programme.
