While you generally think of mentors as something that only happens once you start work and want to grow your career, teens can often benefit from a mentoring relationship.
You can see the benefit to your child when they have other positive adult role models in their lives – whether it’s a sports coach, a kindly neighbour or an extended family member. Many mentors however, don't see themselves as mentors. They find that they drifted into it, realising that at some point they started providing that support to others.
Sometimes mentors question whether they are in fact qualified enough to give advice. They don't realise how helpful sharing their experience and 'war stories' are until they volunteer for a coaching or mentoring program and see the difference they can make.
There are four things even the most reluctant mentor should know that will help them share and guide and make mentoring a rewarding experience for both mentor and mentee.
- Teach it differently – the main benefit of the mentoring relationship is the opportunity to tap into the mentor's life experience, learn from their successes and mistakes and look for transferable skills. Each mentor has a way of imparting knowledge that's comfortable for them. This can be through stories, through working on a problem together or even through gentle humour.
- Embrace opposites – in many cases mentors have complementary skills to the young person. Mentors need to accept that their mentee might see the world in a completely different way. That's why mentors often find they learn from the relationship as well.
- Encourage connections – One of the benefits of mentoring for both mentor and mentee can be the exposure to new ways of thinking.
- Understand the mentoring process – mentors need to be clear about expectations at the get go and be clear about how much time they can commit, when they can be contacted, how often and whether in person, by phone or email. There should also be a clear exit point to the mentoring arrangement. Managing the expectations can be the hardest part of the relationship.