Saturday, July 16, 2011

What Does It Mean to Be a Mentor?

The dictionary defines mentor as "a wise and trusted counselor or teacher." Working for a textbook definition, but what a mentor really think?

The most important quality of a mentor is selflessness. Putting the needs of others before their own is the mark of a true mentor.

A mentor is a good listener, but listening is not a passive activity. A good listener is one who can give all their attention, absorb what is said, and provide guidance. This does not always have the answers. Very often, the best approach is to identify the person in the right direction and learn the lesson on your own. People learn best. Think about when you were in school. When his teacher asked him a question, give you the answer or refer to a chapter in your textbook?

The best mentors are professionals "pointers." They know where to find the answers and point you in the right direction.

For example, view the relationship between a father and son. Parents often put their own needs behind those of their children. We ensure that our children have a good night's sleep, even if we have to spend several hours on housework and skip out on the dream of ourselves. Make sure the child is old and / or appropriate season clothing is top priority for parents to get a new team. These examples show true selflessness. Any good coach will do the same to those he / she is tutoring.

It takes a true servant's heart. If this is not their nature, do not worry, it's a learned behavior. For this reason, to be a successful mentor, you need a single mentor. Your personal tutor will help in this area. After all, it is likely to learn this lesson too.

Once you have a good mentor himself, the most important piece of knowledge that is needed is a way of relating to each of the four personality types. If you can read people and relate to them, the rest is simple.

Many volumes have been written in the 4 personality types, but it stands out as the easiest to identify. Each type is classified as a color, and puts them into terms that anyone can follow. The Latin names for each are difficult to remember, but when you equate each one color, all becomes clear.