Ten Commandments for Mentoring

I hope you have become convinced through these last few posts that having mentors is an essential part of your personal growth plan.Dollarphotoclub_60524206_10Comm_800

Here are 10 Commandments of Mentoring from Stanley and Clinton in Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life:

  1. Relationship: You will have differing depths of relationship with your mentors, but all relationships require effort to maintain.
  2. Purpose: Mentoring is not random. It is for a very clear purpose or area of your life. Be clear on the purpose of a mentoring relationship.
  3. Regularity: Once a week is ideal. But whatever the frequency, discuss the expectations ahead of time.
  4. Accountability: Give your mentor explicit freedom to hold you accountable in your growth area.
  5. Communication Mechanisms: Especially be clear on how you want negative feedback to be communicated.
  6. Confidentiality: Rather than assuming your mentor will know what level of confidentiality you are comfortable with, describe your expectations right up front. A good mentor leans toward very high levels of confidentiality.
  7. Life Cycles of Mentoring: Avoid open ended mentoring relationships. Set a time limit from the beginning.
  8. Evaluation: The mentor evaluates you, but you are both involved in evaluating the mentoring process. Schedule evaluation times throughout the duration of the mentorship.
  9. Expectations: Most of the commandments relate to this issue of expectations in some way. And most negative mentoring experiences are due to unclear or uncommunicated expectations.
  10. Closure: Even if a friendship develops and continues beyond the formal mentoring time, bring closure to the mentoring relationship.

So there you have it: With this and the last few posts, you know everything you need to accelerate your personal growth through mentors.

Now take action and get the mentor you need!

Leave a Comment