The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Mentors

In correlation to Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, recently Rene D. Petrin of Management Mentors wrote an article, Corporate Mentoring Tips: 7 Habits of Highly Successful Mentors & Mentorees. As you mentor UVU students, think about these seven habits to help you develop and strengthen your mentoring relationship.

1.      Active Listeners - Active listening requires real energy and focus. Active listeners give non-verbal cues that they are listening, take notes, repeat back what they’ve heard to ensure understanding, and ask thoughtful questions. Being an active listener will show your mentee that you really care about them and their success.

2.      Dedicated to Their Success - As a mentor, being dedicated to your own success shows that you really understand the mentoring model and that if done properly, it can provide successes for both your mentee and yourself.

3.      Dedicated to Others Successes - Along with the desire for your own success, powerful mentors can see how their role affects the bigger picture. If you really understand that when you help your mentee to be successful, they in turn will play a role in making their own team successful, then you'll realize that in your own way you are starting the chain of a powerful "paying it forward" model.

4.      Curious - Being a mentor requires you to figure things out and make it work. If your mentee comes to you with a problem, a curious person will think, “how can I make this work?” It is important to be curious and to have the desire to find a way to make things happen.

5.      Engaged with Their Surroundings - A powerful mentor can see their piece in the bigger picture. They can visualize how they can play a role in their mentee’s success and beyond. Having this big picture view of the world can help you to see that there is more than just the two of you in the mentoring relationship.

6.      Willing to Step out of Their Comfort Zones - There may be timeswhen you’ll have to tell yourself to just give it a go. Your mentee may come to you with a problem or idea that you’re not comfortable with at first, but if you are able to step out of your comfort zone you’ll be able to think outside of your own box and figure out a way to help your mentee.

7.      The 3 R’s: Responsible, Respectful & Ready - Aside from imparting your wisdom to your mentee you are also serving as a role model. The more responsible, respectful, and ready you act, the more your mentee will reciprocate towards you. They will not only learn from your experience, but they will also learn what it means to act as a professional.

Each of these habits is a continual learning process. You may be excellent in some, and need improvement in others. As you work with your mentee you may find that you are developing these habits without realizing it. We are very appreciative for what you are doing for our students and our program. Thank you for being a mentor. 

References:  Petrin, Rene. "Corporate Mentoring Tips: 7 Habits of Highly Successful Mentors & Mentorees." Management Mentors. N.p., 06 2010. Web. 3 Jul. 2013. http://www.management-mentors.com/resources/june-2010-mentor-mentoree-habits/.