Focusing on the relationship. When you coach their relationship is hierarchical, meaning that you are driving the process and the employee must respond. Mentoring is not meant to be set up that way. Mentoring is a shoulder to shoulder type relationship. In coaching your focus is on reaching a goal with a targeted development plan. On the other hand, mentoring is sharing it guiding your protege.

It requires less structure but more relationship building. Being a mentor to someone creates a special relationship where the mentor watches over the protege guides them and corrects them in different situations. There is not a set intervention, it is constant awareness looking out for pitfalls and political traps that are common in the work environment. Mentors also become more involved in the protegees life demonstrating caring understanding and guiding them through it from the employment perspective. deep personal issues should be taken care of by professionals. However, guiding them to that professional level is a mentor shop.

Here's some behaviors that help to foster a good relationship between a mentor and a protege. Demonstrate caring by listening for issues that are not readily disclosed to you. Perhaps you overhear a conversation where your protege is struggling with something. Demonstrate care by encouraging your protege to discuss it with you. Demonstrate understanding by acknowledging and empathizing with your employee situation. Take the time to fully grasp what is going on and acknowledge it is real and that you would feel the same if you were in their shoes.

Demonstrate listening by giving your undivided attention and avoid interruptions when talking with them, like answering the telephone or looking at email, notate and mirror things back to your protege to demonstrate your listening. demonstrate respect by keeping the relationship professional at all times. Avoid degrading your protege or using casual language in front of others show you respect your employees as if they weren't equal. Keeping an eye on their relationship is just as important as keeping focus on the goal. The mentor protege relationship is delicate because the employee Must see the value of the relationship. If they do not see a relationship then the purpose for mentoring is gone.

We are near the close of this workshop and it is time to wrap this class up. Let us hear some words from the wise before we do close this session.