How to Successfully Mentor Young Professionals?

Introducing young professionals into the field is an important step that each workforce generation must navigate. As millennials are becoming an increasingly prevalent population in the professional world, we need to find a way to welcome them into the fold. Consider these three tips on how to successfully mentor this generation.

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Use Your Network

Mentorship may not be in your wheelhouse, and it is not uncommon for professionals to struggle with knowing with is best when it comes to these types of connections. Influential figures in the world of mentorship like Eyal Gutentag can help you figure out how to best serve this growing population of professionals. Tap into your network and resources, so that you can get support to create a fruitful relationship with your mentee.

Take a Moment to Listen

Truly positive and productive mentoring relationships require that both parties understand what the relationship entails. This means that you need to take a moment to listen to your mentee’s hopes, dreams and concerns. Mentoring Millennials requires insight into their lives before you start charting a course.

Set Clear Expectations With Your Mentee

Mentor and mentee relationships can often become dependent on the mentor to determine courses of action and the next steps; however, these relationships should always be considered a two-way street. This partnership should be centred around the mentee’s desire to progress and develop and the mentor’s ability to help provide feedback, support and accountability. While mentorship is key for young professionals, it is also important that they take the time to drive their progress and development.

One of the key reasons that mentorship relationships tend to fail is due to mismanaged expectations, confusion and a lack of cohesive support. If you take these 3 tips into consideration, you can improve your mentoring experience and allow for more productive, fruitful and positive relationships with your mentees.