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- Know your organization.One of your main functions is
to help the associate overcome the hurdles in moving up
and around office politics, policies and procedures. As
someone who’s been around, you can give her a sense of
the inner workings without the years necessary in
learning such. - Get to know your associate. Take the time to learn as
much as you can about her background, her education, her
skills and interests. Know her family, how she was raised,
her outside interests. Observe personality traits, get
accustomed to her way of writing, speaking and acting. - Learn to teach.Figure out how people think, how they
process information. Know the adult methods for
educating. Read about giving high-impact presentations
and the secrets to powerful training. - Learn to learn. It is essential for a mentor to constantly
take in information — not only the latest techniques in
your own field, but developments in your industry, in the
business community and in parallel fields. Know how to
move both laterally and in a hop-scotch pattern that
mimics current career progression. - Be patient.Understand human nature and develop
compassion toward and awareness of the different levels
and ways in which people learn. Be especially patient with
the different generations. The workers today — the
veterans, the baby boomers, Generation X and Generation
Y — have very different points of view. They may
challenge you, appear rude and be curt in their demands. - Be tactful.Kind, courteous and gentle also fit. And all are
a part of being firm. You must let the associate know that
you expect the optimum, the very best. - Take risks.Give your associate assignments that
challenge her. Let her know that she won’t succeed in all
the assignments, but that the best way to grow is by taking
the tough job. Tell her that you will back her.
The Mentoring Role: Instruction by Example