Business Mentoring Insights

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  5 Effective Mentoring Practices for Software Developers and Engineers

  Mentoring is an essential part of building your team to be the best that they can be. Since you are the one they look to for advice, you must know what kind of mentor you’re going to be. Mentoring isn’t just limited to teaching them the technical aspects of their work. There are a lot of things to understand about their job past the code they create.  As a mentor, you need to show them the effective learning and development skills that only an experienced senior member can provide. Here are some of the important practices you should include in your mentoring: Read more

  Thu, Jan, 13, 2022

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  The 5 Parts of Every Effective Mentoring Goal

  Setting effective mentoring goals can be the definitive reason why mentorship works. They are the mold that allows the mentee to grow, and eventually breakthrough. But in order to be an effective mentoring goal, there are 5 parts that always have to be present. By ensuring that you always have these 5 attributes, you can be certain that your mentoring goals will be effective and useful for both you and your mentee. Read more

  Mon, Jul, 26, 2021

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  Active Listening: How Important This Skill Is in Mentoring?

  When you are communicating with someone, how often do you listen? Every time the other person talks, right? We spend about 70-80% of our day communicating and 55% of that time is dedicated to listening. The real question is, how often do you actively listen?  Study says we listen only with 25% efficiency. This means, most of the time we are either distracted, preoccupied with thoughts, or forgetful. But how do you completely understand somebody when you don’t have your undivided attention to the person? You cannot. And mentoring is all about understanding your mentee. That’s why active listening is the key to successful mentoring. Read more

  Wed, Jun, 23, 2021

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  5 Useful Tips For A First Time Mentor

  “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” — Steven Spielberg Read more

  Thu, Mar, 11, 2021

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  How to Set Mentorship Goals for Your Mentee?

  One of the first things a mentor does after entering into a mentoring relationship is to help the mentee identify their career objectives and set mentorship goals. It is a critical step in defining what you will work on with your mentee in the next few months and how much effort you will need to put into it. Setting clear goals for your mentee helps you get the most out of the mentoring relationship. Read more

  Mon, Feb, 22, 2021

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  What to Look For in a Business Mentor?

    Having a business mentor is a great way to support your growth as an entrepreneur. The right mentor can set you up for success by introducing you to influential people, guiding you through your highs and lows, and offering you suggestions on the best steps to take. While most people understand the benefits of having a business mentor, it’s rare to find someone who has one. Because finding the right mentor is not an easy task. Read more

  Tue, Feb, 09, 2021

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  Top 5 Tips for Administering a Mentoring Program

  Administering mentoring programs can be challenging. Whether the program is focused on career mentoring, business mentoring, or mentoring women, there’s a lot of moving pieces within any professional mentorship program.  Read more

  Mon, Jul, 13, 2020

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  What is Mentoring, and What is it Not?

  While there is so much talk about the benefits of mentoring in the workplace, it may seem a little late to ask the question, “exactly what is mentoring?” Although it is a somewhat fluid concept, there are some clear distinctions between mentoring and other activities. Before joining or starting a professional mentoring program at your workplace, it’s important to have a clear idea of what mentoring is. Read more

  Tue, Apr, 07, 2020

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  Mentoring Tips: Communicating Expectations

    Effective communication is the key ingredient of a successful mentoring relationship. We've discussed active listening vs. passive listening, which is essential. Now, let's provide some mentoring tips for effectively communicating expectations—a skill that mentors, mentees, and program managers need to master.  1. Clarify Assumptions Never assume anything. Always explicitly state any assumption and ask the other person if your assumption is correct. If it isn't, ask the person to clarify. Here's an example: Speaker #1: I'm sensing you're frustrated with your manager's response to your request. Is that a fair assessment? Speaker #2: Frustrated might not be the best word. I was disappointed because I didn't feel my manager cared about why I was making the request. Speaker #1: Dealing with disappointment can be a tough emotion to navigate, especially at work. Let's discuss ways for you to deal with this emotion and let's develop a strategy for how you want to approach your manager moving forward. Read more

  Mon, Dec, 12, 2016