Public Service Commission
HOME / LEARNING AND YOU / MENTOR PROGRAM /
Role of a Mentor
What is the Role of a Mentor - Do I want to be one?
A mentor helps the mentee clarify career goals and carry out a plan to reach those goals by sharing insights and knowledge they have gained through their experiences. Think of the mentor as a “learning leader” who facilitates a learning process, rather than as a guru who passes down “the word” to the mentee.
The responsibilities of a mentor are as follows:
- provides guidance based on past experience
- creates a positive counseling relationship and climate of open communication
- helps the mentee identify problems and solutions
- leads the mentee through problem solving processes
- offers constructive feedback in a supportive way
- shares stories, including mistakes
- refers the mentee to other associates
- must be honest about professional experience
- solicits feedback from the mentee
- comes prepared to each meeting to discuss issues
To help answer the question of do you want to be a mentor, you need to identify why you want to be one.
- What is motivating you to accept this opportunity in spite of your busy schedule?
- Analyze what you have to offer a mentee.
- Be brutally honest with yourself as you consider what influence, skills, knowledge or other contributions you can make.
- Acknowledge your weaknesses also.
- Identify your needs, expectations, and limits for your relationship.
- Ask yourself what you would like to have happen and how far you are willing to go.
What Does it Take to be a Good Mentor?
So, you think that you are ready to take on the role of a mentor—do you have the characteristics to be successful in this role?
The checklist below is based on a synthesis of observations described by many mentees and researchers. While any single mentor may not possess all of the characteristics, effective mentors have many of these qualities. Which of the characteristics do you possess?
| You clearly and regularly demonstrate your leadership competencies and public sector values | |
| Your work demonstrates solid or superior achievement | |
| You use a variety of techniques and skills to achieve your goals | |
| You are considered by peers to be an expert in your field | |
| You set high standards for yourself | |
| You enjoy and are enthusiastic about your field | |
| You continue to update your background in the field | |
| You listen to and communicate effectively with others | |
| You exhibit a good feeling about your own accomplishments and about the profession | |
| You recognize excellence in others and encourage it | |
| You are committed to supporting and interacting with colleagues | |
| You are able to role-play others and understand their views | |
| You enjoy intellectual engagement and like to help others | |
| You are sensitive to the needs of others and generally recognize when others require support, direct assistance, or independence | |
| You exercise good judgement in decisions concerning yourself and the welfare of others |
Remember that you don’t need to possess all of these characteristics. Let your mentee know where you are willing to help and what kind of information or support you can provide.
Now that you have decided that you are ready to take on the role of a mentor, you will need to create a mentorship agreement with your mentee.
This information has been taken from website "Public Service Commission"