Happy Mentoring Young Professionals!
Lately I have been thinking about “What makes a great mentor?” Is a great mentor someone with a lot of work experience? Or is it better for them to have more life lessons? Is a great mentor someone who is retired and can dedicate more time to mentees? Or is it someone who can give sound advice for any situation?
All mentors are different. All have unique backgrounds and it doesn’t really matter if one mentor has more experience or time than another mentor. What truly matters is the mentor’s ability to listen.
Listening is a very powerful tool. When we listen,
- We are opening ourselves up to understand another person.
- We are showing we are invested and care about what the other person is saying.
- We are allowing ourselves to think before we speak.
Listening is very important. Whether you are at work, mentoring or just talking with a friend listening is key to building relationships and finding practical solutions. I pride myself on being a great listener. I have been told by upper management that what separates me from other people is I listen. But, I wasn’t always good at listening as my mind is usually thinking about 10 different things at once. I had to learn to calm my mind and before I learned to calm my mind I had to use effective techniques e.g. drinking a sip of water when I had the urge to talk over someone.
Think about your relationships. Are you a talker? Or do you prefer to listen to what someone else is going through? Pay attention the next time you are in a work meeting. Are you the person speaking or are you sitting back & listening so you can help with a solution? Listening and improving our listening skill set is something we can all do to be better leaders.
Please feel free to engage in the following questions:
- What techniques do you use to improve your listening skills?
- What obstacles have you encountered with people that don’t listen?
- Is listening the same as hearing?
Kind Regards,
William T. Kernan
Chair, IMA Young Professional Advisory Committee
“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” – Ralph G. Nichols