Attributes of Good Mentors and Mentees

At Integral, our leadership development programs and management courses place a high premium on the process of mentoring. Sustained success in the competitive Perth market is often facilitated by ongoing mentoring at every level of the organisation.

Attributes of a Good Mentee

1. Motivation to Succeed
   A good mentee is motivated to succeed. This helps ensure that mentoring isn’t wasted on someone who won’t act on the knowledge he or she has received.

2. Time Management Skills
   A good mentee must be sufficiently talented at time management to commit enough time to make mentoring worthwhile.

3. Positive Attitude
   This should be self-evident. It is much more fun to mentor positive people than negative ones. Positive people usually produce better and more sustainable results, too.

4. Respect
   A good mentee will respect you and appreciate the time you spend in mentoring. They will also respect the value you are providing.

5. Willingness to Learn
   A student who is willing to learn will invariably accomplish more than one who isn’t.

6. Honesty
   Your mentee should be honest. Anything else is a waste of time.

7. Clear Communication
   A good mentee will be able to communicate whether or not they understand what you are teaching them. This makes the entire process much more effective.

8. Confidence
   Confidence and self-belief are essential for maximising performance at any stop on the corporate ladder.

Qualities of a Good Mentor

1. Experience
   A mentor needs experience in what he or she is teaching. Otherwise, it’s all theory.

2. Character
   A mentor should have admirable qualities such as honesty and integrity. That ensures that positive qualities are sustained through generations of leadership.

3. Similar Goals
   It is more efficient to learn from someone who has the same goals and can steer a mentee through the inevitable “rough spots” that occur on the path to success.

4. Open Mind
   An open mind on the part of the mentor allows the mentee to progress at a more natural pace.

5. Caring Attitude
   A mentor should care as much about the mentee’s success as the mentee does.

6. Optimism
   Positivity produces positive results.

7. Belief
   A mentor who believes in a mentee is always more effective.

8. Honesty
   A mentor who is honest gains the trust of the mentee. This produces faster development.

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