Dos and don'ts of Mentoring

 Just to say with Mentoring, on the internet with the dos and don'ts tell you different things. However' no one knows everything nor me. What is common sense is in Mentoring, it's about the Mentee, not the mentor but both Mentor and Mentee deserve respect from one another. 

Just to say I achieved my level one and level 2 Mentoring in 2017 and 2018, but not done any work experience in that field, which is what I am hoping to achieve when the lockdown has eased a bit. Here are some dos and don't guidelines from I admit from the course I was on and the internet.  The area I would like to do Mentoring in is supporting people with disabilities, mental health, and other problems and those who want to work in the field of disabilities, mental health, and other problems, which I guess I pretty much have done at the University before lockdown as a Visting Lecture of learning disability and Mental health Awareness trainer for student professional such as Student learning disability nurses.

 However' Most of you may agree and most of you may disagree other than the laws, policy, health, and safety, etc pretty much with Mentoring you can have your own personal view as long as it is all about the Mentee. However' the way I have said this, it probley make no sense but it may well do when I say this and again you may agree or not agree. I know it is not about my personal view but sorry in this case I cannot but raise this. As Mentoring is pretty much about careers etc, we should mentor on topic, we pretty much know and mentor Mentees who have pretty much the same interest as us because guess it could be hard if you're mentoring a Mentee who into the topic, etc don't know, which anyone is reading this post who knows about Mentorining will know, am I right or wrong to say this is partly, where matching Mentors to Mentees come in, which I think will be your manager's job? 

Dos

 Do listen to your Mentee, do let them do most of the talking.

Body language, communication, listening skills,  maintain eye contact, allowing the Mentee to speak and finish speaking.

Ask the Mentee if they understand things they need to, if not keep going through things until they understand. 

Allow for pauses.

Confirm what they say, you understand, and give feedback and reflect on what the Mentee has said.

Use a combination of communication skills such as nodding, smiles,  mirroring, facial expressions, etc.

Listening to the tone of voice and be mindful of your own.

Use their preferred means of communication, adapting yours if needed.

Forus on content and don't get distracted by irrelevancies.  

Explain facts clearly and directly.

Explain things in several different ways, if you feel that is appropriate. 

Be clear on what information needs to be communicated.

Using the open style of questioning.

Be sensitive and flexible. 

Only Mentor on things you know yourself. For example; if you don't know anything about what hairdressing says, I would guess it would hard to mentor someone who wants to go into hairdressing. 

Forus on the Mental what they want and need.

Point them to the area that needs to be improved.

Always focus on the mentee and their behavior. 

Always set good examples.

Give mentees a chance to learn by experience. 

Balance profession and personal support.

To know students may rise to greater levels than those who trained them. http://www.nln.org/professional-development-programs/teaching-resources/ace-d/additional-resources/communicating-with-people-with-disabilities

Don'ts

Mentors are not excepted to solve mentees' problems.

Mentors shouldn't be excepted to do their mentees' work for them but guide them through. For example; study skills, it might be that the student doesn't find the course accessible, which stress them out, you may need to look at ways of helping the student's work to be clear to them with their tutor, teacher or lecture, such as bite-size information, easy ready accessible information. Some people may face disabilities, mental health or and other problems, etc.

Mentees shouldn't shy away from their learning experience and they shouldn't use friendship with a Mentor as a tool to avoid workspace consequences.

They do not need to avoid talking about their anxieties and problems. 

For Mentors don't use body language that communicates to a person such as a yawn and looking out the window. However' I partly disagree with this as no one can help a yawn but it is very important all the time mentees are talking we need to be paying attention to them, writing our notes, etc but your opinion matters too.

Don't become distracted by other things, true easy said than done.

Don't think about other things other than the mentee while the session is taking place.

Don't be impatient, speak over, the mentee and rush them, true but not easy when you have a certain amount of time with them and if they disabilities, etc, they may take longer to say what they need to say, which could take patience. I would advise maybe asking your manager about whether or not to place extra appointments if needs are depending on your diary and the mentees etc.

Don't finish off sentences or be unclear on what you mean on the information that needs to be communicated. https://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/mentoring/Mentoring_Etiquette.pdf