SEEKING MENTORSHIP: 6 attributes to consider in a mentor
Your guide to choosing a guide
Congratulations; you have made a conscious decision and are seeking mentorship! As an early professional, seeking out mentorship can be a nerve-racking ordeal. The stress of trying to keep your head above water, all while attempting to vet out a high-quality mentor can be a daunting task to say the least!
In a previous post, we discussed why there is a need for mentorship as an early professional. But what actually makes a high-quality mentor? In this post we will dive into some of the common attributes found amongst high-quality mentors to help you on your journey in seeking a mentor.
what are the top attributes of a high quality mentor?
When looking at some of the top professional mentors throughout many different industries, you may begin to see some common attributes shared across the board. Seeking out these high-quality mentors, you’ll want to keep these top attributes in mind before trying to build a professional relationship with them.
knowledgeable
This may be the most obvious, but it is imperative to stress nevertheless. A high-quality mentor must possess the relative content knowledge and expertise you are seeking to acquire. Now this “expertise” is not subjected or limited to their subject education. Skills like leadership, networking, marketing, etc. can all be relative areas where your potential mentor can be knowledgeable and a content expert. But a knowledgeable mentor with the right experiences has the potential to be a gateway to exponential personal and career growth.
effective communicator
Effective communication is pivotal to any relationship, but even more so within a mentor/mentee relationship. The ability for your mentor to divulge their knowledge to you as a mentee in a clear and concise manner is a key attribute to ensure successful growth. Often overlooked as a major component of effective communication is the ability to be an active and empathetic listener. High-quality mentors possess the unique ability to actively understand their mentees needs without it being verbally stated or requested. This helps, as sometimes we as young professionals might not always know how to express our wants and/or needs as well as we think we do.
adaptable
Adaptability is an attribute that can separate good mentors from great mentors. Adaptive mentorship puts the duty on the mentor to adapt their teaching approach to their mentee. This ensures that the needs are met in regards to the developmental stage or place you are currently at as the mentee. This ability can drastically augment the knowledge translation process and mitigate any road blocks along your journey with your mentor.
committed
High-quality mentors realize that this process is a long-term investment. As a result of this, they must maintain a high level of commitment to both you the mentee and the process of mentoring. You’ll want to find a mentor who genuinely enjoys helping and is active in the mentoring process. This is a crucial point, due to the amount of time both the mentor and the mentee devote during this professional relationship.
respectful
Respect is an important attribute to look for in a high-quality mentor. Respect for their knowledge and content expertise is great to have, but is not the only thing to be sought after. A great mentor should possess the humility to also give respect where it is due. Mutual respect is a two-way street that should be both given and taken as professionals, regardless of professional status or difference in levels of experience. This is an imperative component to the mentor and mentee relationship that should not be overlooked.
passionate
Probably one of the most important attributes that any high-quality mentor should possess is passion. A mentor is an important role because mentees often look up to their mentors as ideal role models. Thus, high-quality mentors exude a great amount of passion for their mentee that demonstrates an authentic experience for the professional relationship.
A great mentor understands that they can play a pivotal role in advancing their mentee’s personal and professional career. High-quality mentors need to possess the right set of attributes that make them the right fit for you as a potential mentee. The list is not all encompassing but if you can begin searching with these top attributes in mind, you should be able to find a great mentor that is a match for you!
MEET THE AUTHOR: shaun reghabi
Shaun is a self-described forever student. He started off as a PT tech before becoming an ATC and quickly followed it up with residency before deciding to pursue his DPT. He recently graduated University of St. Augustine and isn’t wasting any time before he begins his ortho PT residency in the fall and hopes to continue on to complete his OMPT fellowship. When he has free time you can find him with his family at the different foodie spots across the greater HTX area.
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