The benefits are mutual

A win-win relationship: mentoring

It’s easy to see why people seek out mentors, however being a mentor also brings great satisfaction and career advancement. Mentors get more than just a sense of “doing good” or “giving back” when they start a mentoring relationship.

Mentoring forces self-reflection and greater awareness. It helps you see things differently, build your supervisory and communication skills and expand your career and business networks. It can help you find your voice as a leader.

The leading mentoring platform to empower women.

A platform for leadership and success

Our online career mentoring platform matches you with a mentee who’s looking for the type of support and insight you can provide. You can help rising stars gain clarity, face challenges, and advance their career.

You’ll also receive ongoing support to help you develop your expertise as a mentor and find success as an industry leader.

Flexibly assist people that require your expertise and knowledge.

Your commitment as a mentor

As a mentor at TMI, you have an opportunity to empower women around the world with their career. The following are guidelines around what is expected of you as a mentor:

1. Active Listening
   Being a good communicator isn’t just about talking. The best communicators also know how to listen. A conversation is an exchange of ideas, and having the ability to engage with people as they present their ideas is a valuable skill.There are two forms of listening: passive and active. When a listener doesn’t react to the conversation, that’s considered passive. Sometimes, it’s because the listener is distracted; by their phone, computer, or another conversation, for example. The problem is that neither side benefits from this type of communication; the listener doesn’t receive all or any information, and the speaker will likely feel discouraged or irritated that they’re effectively being ignored.Active listening is all about engagement. In conversation, an active listener will stop their other tasks, give the speaker their full attention, and involve themselves by asking questions and providing their perspective. Great mentors are active listeners. They care about what their mentee has to say, and are ready to provide insightful points to the conversation.
2. Patience
   As the saying goes, patience is a virtue. This is certainly the case when mentoring!For the entirety of our lives, we are learners. As accomplished as we might be in our careers at this point in time, it wasn’t always that way. Remember that your mentee is still in an intense phase of learning. They might not always get it right. They might even be frustrated at times. As a mentor, you’ll be there to provide support without judgment.
3. Enthusiasm
   A great mentor is passionate about their career and keen to share their enthusiasm with the people they mentor.Young professionals benefit enormously from mentors who are engaged, energetic, and positive, particularly when they’re going through rough patches.From the outset, a good mentor demonstrates that they are enthusiastic about working with a mentee, rather than viewing the arrangement as a burden or just another appointment to fit in an already stuffed calendar. Instead, a positive approach radiates to the mentee and gets the relationship off to a great start.
4. Focus
   Success is impossible without focus. A good mentor has already demonstrated focus through a successful career, and so that focus should carry over to their mentoring relationships.Active listening is one form of focus, but there are other ways to demonstrate this to a mentee, such as replying promptly to emails or messages, providing information that’s tailored to the individual rather than generic mentoring materials, and always being on time for appointments. As well as showing respect to a mentee, these behaviours remind them how they should conduct themselves properly.
5. The Ability to Provide Constructive Feedback
   We all love to dish out praise – and receive it! However, feedback won’t always be overwhelmingly positive. A good mentor knows how to give constructive feedback in a way that empowers a mentee, rather than demotivating them.It’s a delicate balance. On the one hand, a mentor shouldn’t shy away from providing critique, but on the other, they shouldn’t focus entirely on the negative. Be honest but tactful, try to figure out the circumstances, and always give advice for improvement. It’s also helpful to remind a mentee that we’ve all had to learn!
6. Compassion
   Mentoring isn’t solely about developing a career, it’s also about supporting the person. We all have bad days. We all have to navigate events beyond our control. We all have lives outside of work.Mentors understand that a person has complex responsibilities, and acts with compassion if their mentee is struggling. It’s important to be flexible, understanding, and supportive. Positive mentoring can transform a bad day into a successful week!
7. Trustworthiness
   Trust is the foundation of any relationship, and it’s the attribute a mentor must personify more than anything else. Without trust, mentoring quickly falls apart.There are many facets to this. First and foremost, if something is shared in strict confidence, it shouldn’t be discussed with anyone else. Promises should be avoided, but if they are made, it should only be on the basis of deliverability. For example, a mentor shouldn’t promise that their mentee will get a promotion if they complete a set of actions – because that’s a complex situation outside of their control – but promising to bring a specific book to the next meeting or an invitation to an event organised by the mentor is fine.Trust is also built when a mentor can admit that they’ve made a mistake. Rather than doubling down on an error, having the courage to show humility is powerful.Finally, mutual respect is key to trust. When boundaries are set, honour them. Take responsibility and be honest. A good mentor doesn’t demand respect, they earn it.