The B.E.S.T Practices of Mentorship

Get the basics right and you will get the B.E.S.T. out of your mentee. This article looks at the four stages that a mentor needs to go through in order to build a lasting relationship.

Here are the B.E.S.T. ways to maximise your mentorship journey.

When you start any relationship, it is normal to go through a number of stages before the bond becomes unbreakable. These stages can be defined in the following ways: building, enhancing, sustaining and transitioning or as we would like to call it “The B.E.S.T Practices”

Block-1

Building is the first stage.

There are certain foundations that need to be set at the beginning of your relationship with your mentee. One needs to establish trust, clarify roles, and agree on boundaries. This will go a long way to ensuring that you and your mentee understand one another and that all expectations are manageable. This can be done by setting up consistent communication channels— the effective way to do this, is to see each other face-to-face regularly.

Block-2

The next stage is Enhancing.

This stage requires you to dive a little deeper into your mentee’s psyche. This will require you to explore their interests, start setting goals and most importantly offer yourself as a resource to your mentee. When setting goals with your mentee, you might want to think of angles, you can focus on, Academia, their careers and anything else that your mentee might want to achieve are good places to start.

Block-3

The third stage is Sustaining.

Sustainability equals longevity and the fruits of that equation are trust, success and a relationship that could possibly last a lifetime. Your mentee may struggle to deal with some of the goals or expectations that you have set. If this is the case, then you should consider re-thinking and re-negotiating these expectations so that they are manageable. The purpose is to do what you can, to make sure that your relationship is a sustainable one.

Block-4

The final stage Transition.

Change is never easy to come to terms with, no matter what form it comes in. There are many ways to deal with change but the most effective methods are a) talk about it b) celebrate it and c) embrace it. By doing so, you will give your mentee closure and time to reflect on how far they have come. With that being said, give your mentee time to adapt, do not bombard them with too much change—as this may scare your mentee and make them reluctant to participate. Take your time.

Now that you have the necessary tools, building a strong lasting relationship with your mentee should be easier. To find other great tips visit our website to download the mentor pack: http://bit.ly/1WVI6OU.